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ACTION    AND   SUBJECTS 


^HBE§lEAlf  BAPSB 


^ 


AN  ESSAY  ON 

RESTRICTED  COMMUNION. 


BY  REV.  DAVID  E.  THOMAS, 

Pastor  of  the  1st  Baptist  Church,  Zanesville,  Obi'»„ 


ZANESVILLE,  O: 

CHRISTIAN  REGISTER  BOOK  OFFICE. 
1851. 


COPY-RIGHT  SECURED. 


H.  H.  Bradkx,  Printer,  No.  125  Main  st. 


PREFACE 


Christian  Reader:  The  object  of  the 
following  Chapters  is  not  to  widen  the 
breach  among  Christians  of  different 
denominations,  or  minister  to  the  in- 
crease of  a  sectarian  spirit.  The  au- 
tnor,  having  been  early  instructed  in 
views  different  from  those  which  he  now 
advocates,  is  not  unacquainted  with  the 
difficulties  which  may  embarrass  an 
honest  inquirer  after  truth.  Nor  does 
he  entertain  unkind  feelings  towards 
those  pious  and  devoted  members  of 
other  denominations,  who  have  different 
views  from  those  inculcated  in  these 
Chapters.  But  his  liberality  of  feelings 
and  sentiments  are  far  from  leading  him 
to  suppose  the  christian  to  be  his  own 
master,  or  that  he  has  a  right  to  sacri- 
fice the  commandments  of  Christ  on  the 
altar  of  denominational  courtesy,  there- 
by showing  more  deference  to  man  than 
to  God. 

It  may  seem  remarkable  that  the  views 
of  the  Baptist  Denomination  should  re- 
quire much  advocacy,  in  a  society  where 
Christianity  is  established-  The  actioi* 
of  baptism,  as  administered  by  them,  is 


IV.  PREFACE. 

recognized  as  valid  by  the  christian 
world.  So  far  then,  it  might  be  supposed 
they  would  escape  unchristian  attacks 
from  the  Ministers  of  Christ.  They 
baptize  professed  believers.  Will  any 
one  affirm  that  they  are  not  Scriptural 
subjects  of  the  ordinance?  They  admit 
baptized  believers  to  the  Lord's  Supper. 
Is  not  that  right?  Where  is  their  wroRg 
in  these  matters?  If  baptism  can  be 
scripturally  administered  without  im- 
mersion, let  it  be  shown.  If  other  than 
baptized  believers  are  entitled  to  the 
Lord's  Supper,  let  it  be  proved.  Let  us 
have  that  proof  from  the  Book  of  God. 
The  author  would  simply  say,  in  con- 
clusion, that  the  quotations  he  makes; 
the  references  he  gives;  the  facts  he 
states,  are  reliable  —  for  the  truth  of 
which  he  will,  when  called  upon,  submit 
the  documents  to  the  examination  of 
any  Minister,  or  Committee  of  men, 
properly  qualified  to  examine  them.  At 
all  hazard,  Christian  Reader,  obey  the 
Commands  of  God. 

David  E.  Thomas. 
Zanesville,  0.,  April  10,1851. 


BAPTISM  AND  COMMUNION. 


That  Christian  Baptism  is  the  immersion  of  a 
believer  in  water,  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Spirit;  to  show  forth  in  a  solemn  and 
beautiful  emblem,  our  faith  in  a  crucified,  buried, 
and  risen  Savior;  that  it  is  pre-requisite  to  the 
privileges  of  a  church  relation;  and  to  the  Lord's 
Supper,  in  which  the  members  of  the  church, 
by  the  use  of  bread  and  wine,  are  to  commem- 
orate together  the  dying  love  of  Christ;  prece- 
ded always  by  solemn  self-examination. — Decla- 
ration of'Faitli,  Article  12. 

CHAPTER    I . 

ACTION  OF  CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM. 

The  Baptists  believe  that  the  immer- 
sion of  a  believer  in  water  in  the  name 
of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  is 
essential  to  christian  baptism.  Those 
thus  baptized  they  consider  entitled  to 
the  privileges  of  a  Church  relation,  and 
may  scripturally  partake  of  the  Lord's 
supper.  In  support  of  these  views,  we 
present  the  following  considerations: 

I.  THE  meaning  of  the  original  word 

BAPT1Z0. 

The  Greek  word  is  not  translated  into 
English,  but  merely  adopted,  with  an 
English  termination.     Every  caviller  is 


6  MEANING  OP  BAPTIZO— CLASSIC  tfStf. 

thus  permitted  to  give  it  the  definition 
which  best  suits  his  inclination, and  car- 
ry the  argument  above  the  reach  of  the 
common  reader.  Has  the  English  lan- 
guage a  word  corresponding  in  meaning 
with  the  Greek  word  bap'Azol  If  so, 
why  not  translate  the  term?  If  the 
word  means  to  sprinkle,  or  to  pour,  why 
not  in  one  instance  translate  it  by  these 
words?  It  is  translated  to  dip  in  2  Kings 
v;  14;  and  bapto — a  word  from  which 
baptizo  is  derived,  is  translated  to  dip 
20  times,  and  once  by  the  word  plunge 
— a  word  which  occurs  but  once  in  the 
whole  Bible. 

1  The  meaning  of  this  word  can  be 
ascertained  by  its  use  in  the  Greek  wri- 
tings of  early  authors.  Some  of  these 
are  called  the  Classics.  The  Greek 
language  to  them  was  vernacular.  The 
word  is  used  in  the  sense  of  immersion, 
overwhelming,  or  covering  in  water,  by 
Orpheus,  Pindar,  Hippocrates,  Aristotle, 
Heraclidus  Ponticus,  Polybius,  Plutarch. 
Strabo,  Epictetus,  Josephus,  Lucian, 
Diodorus  Siculus.  Thus  extending 
over  a  period  of  nearly  seventeen  hundred 
years,  commencing  1285  years  before 
Christ, -and  ending  with  Diodorus  Sicu- 
Jus,  400  years  after  Christ.     Did  Christ 


TESTIMONY  OF  LEXICOGRAPHERS. 

employ  words  in  a  different  sense  from 
all  other  authors! 

2  The  definition  of  this  word,  as  giv- 
en by  "all  Lexicographers  of  any  note" 
harmonize  with  the  idea  of  immersion, 
overwhelming,  SfC.,  and  is  inconsistent 
with  sprinkling  or  pouring.  Schrevilius, 
Schleusner,  Scapula,  Stephanus,  Rob- 
ertson, Pasor,  Parkhurst,  Donnegan,  Dr. 
John  Jones,  Greenfield,  Prof.  Host, 
Bretschneider,  Bass,  Stokius,  Hedericus, 
Pickering,  Robinson,  Grove,  Suidas. 
John  Augustus  Ernes ti,  &c.,  define  the 
word  baptizo  in  entire  harmony  with  the 
idea  of  immersion;  but  never  use  the 
words  sprinkling  or  pouring  as  defini- 
tions of  the  term  in  question. 

3  The  testimony  -of  these  Lexicograph- 
ers is  corroborated  by  the  candid  ad- 
missions of  Poedo- Baptist  Divines. — As 
scholars  and  critics  they  admit  the  pri- 
mary meaning  of  Baptizo  to  be  immer- 
sion, overwhelming;  while  their  secta- 
rian inclination  would  lead  some  of 
them  to  plead  for  the  baptismal  substi- 
tute as  being  "just  as  good."  Among 
this  number  are  Martin  Luther,  William 
Tyndal  the  author  of  the  first  English 
translation  of  the  New  Testament;  John 
.Calvin,  Dr.  Wall,  Grotius,  Dr.  Whitby. 


BIBLE  USE  OF  BAPTO  ANT>  BAPTIZO-. 

Dr.  Chalmers,  Dr.  George  Campbell  of 
Aberdeen;  Dr.  Charles  Anthon.  John 
Wesley,  the  founder  of  Methodism,  ad- 
mits that  immersion  was  the  *  -custom  of 
the  first  church." — Journal  through 
Georgia,  p.  11.  Adam  Clarke  admits 
that  Paul  alludes  to  immersion  in  Col. 
ii:  12. — (See  his  Notes.)  Scores  of 
other  learned  authors  might  be  quoted, 
but  as  Dr.  Stuart  says,  in  Bib.  Rep.,  "the 
thing  is  made  out,"  i.  e.  immersion. 

4  The  Bible  use  of  the  terms  bapto, 
and  baptizo,  shoios  the  meaning  of  these 
words. — -Bapto  occurs  24  times.  It  is, 
translated  to  dip  20  times;  to  put  into 
water  1;  to  wet  (in  the  book  of  Daniel) 
2.;  to  plunge  1 — total,  24.  It  is  not  once 
rendered  by  the  word  sprinkling  or  pour- 
ing. 

Baptizo — the  word  used  for  the  ordi- 
nance  of  baptism,  occurs  91  times,  It  is 
translated  to  dip,  once;  to  wash — the 
result  of  dipping — twice.  It  is  used 
metaphorically  by  Isaiah,  and  translated 
affright,  or  according  to  Dr.  Stuart,  to, 
sink  or  overwhelm.  In  all  other  instan- 
ces the  word  is  transferred:  no  verse 
can  be  adduced  in  the  whole  Bible  where 
it  is  translated  pouring  or  sprinkling. 
The    word    sprinkling,   in.  its.  various 


BAPTIZO  SYNONYMOUS  WITH  IMMERSE.  if 

forms,  occurs  in  the  English  Bible  60 
times;  neither  bapto  nor  baptizo  is  once 
used  in  the  original  in  those  places. 
The  word  pouring,  in  some  form,  occurs 
in  the  English  Bible  150  times;  in  the 
places  in  which  it  is  used,  neither  bapto 
nor  baptizo  is  employed  in  the  original. 
Indeed,  the  words  bapto,  to  dip;  cheo, 
to  pour;  and  faino,  to  sprinkle,  are  used 
in  contradistinction  from  one  another, 
in  the  same  verses  in  the  Bible. — See 
Lev  iv:  6,  7,  17,  18;  Lev.  ix:  9;  xiv:  6, 
16,  51;  Numb,  xix:  18. 

The  word  baptizo  has  no  greater  lati- 
tude in  Greek"1  than  the  word  immerse 
has  in  English.  How  often  do  we  speak 
of  being  immersed  in  business,  over- 
whelmed in  troubles,  ''sinners  plunged 
beneath  that  flood,"  enveloped  in  smoke, 
&c.  Do  these  words  lose  their  meaning 
because  of  this  metaphorical  usage? 
As  well  may  we  deny  the  meaning  of  the 
word  river,  because  the  Psalmist  says: 
"Rivers  of  water  run  down  mine  eyes." 
Or,  that  the  word  for  heaven  loses  its 
meaning,  because  Jacob  said:  "This  is, 
the  gate  of  heaven,"  &c. 


10  PRACTICE  OF  THE  GREEK  CHURCH- 


II.    THE    PRACTICE    OF    THE  GREEKS  THEM- 
SELVES. 

The  Greek  Church  who  speak  the 
very  language  in  which  the  New  Tes- 
tament was  written — a  church  extending 
over  large  portions  of  Turkey,  Austria, 
Russia,  &c,  uniformly  practice  immer- 
sion. In  proof  of  this  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred to  Stackhouse's  Hist,  of  Bible, 
B.  8,  ch.  i:  pp.  1234,  1235;  Venema's 
Hist.  Eccles.  torn,  vi:  p.  660;  King's 
Kites  and  Ceremonies  of  Greek  Chh.,  p. 
192;  Dr.  Wall's  Hist.  Inf.  Bap.,  part  ii; 
ch.  9,  p.  4.77;  Rieaut's  Present  State  of 
Greek  Chh.,. p.  163:  Coleman's  Chris. 
Antiquities,  p.  275;  Goodrich's  Rel. 
Rites  and  Cer.,  pp.  162,  2.12,  221.  227, 
Moses  Stuart,  in  Bib.  Repos.,  vol.  3,  p. 
360. 

!U.  THE  PLACES  AN©  CIRCUMSTANCES  MEN- 
TIONED IN  CONNECTION  WITH  THE  AD- 
MINISTRATION OF  THE  ORDINANCE. 

1  The  Places. — John  baptized  •in  the 
river  of  Jordan,'  Mark  i:  5;  Mat.  iii:  6. 
— The  river  Jordan  rises  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Lebanon,  and  runs  towards  the 
South,  through  the  interior  of  the  land 
of  Palestine.  About  16  miles  from  its 
source,    it  forms  the   Lake    Semechon. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  RIVER  JORDAN',  11 

(See  Josephus'  Jewish  Wars,  B.  3, §  7i) 
or  the  waters  of  Merom,  Josh,  xi:  7. 
About  16  miles  further  South,  it  forms  the 
Sea  of  Tiberias,  or  Lake  of  Genessa- 
reth. — Josephus,  B.  3,  §  7«  After  flow- 
ing about  130  miles  further,  the  river 
empties  itself  into  the  .Dead  Sea,  or  Lake 
Asphaltites.  The  river  Jordan  receives, 
from  the  country  East  of  it,  no  less  than 
"21  tributary  streams;  and  from  its  Wes- 
tern side,  it  receives  23  tributary  streams. 
— See  Murray's  Ency.  of  Geo,,  vol.  ii: 
p.  251:  Smiley 's  Scrip.  Geo.,  p.  62.  The 
average  breadth  of  the  river  between 
Tiberias  and  the  Dead  Sea,  is  from  60 
to  30  feet;  its  average  depth  is  from  10 
to  12  feet.— See  Covel's  Sab.  S.  Diet., 
published  by 'the  M.  E.  Book  Concern, 
p.  235.  Where'it  empties  into  the  Lake, 
it  rolls  a  considerable  body  of  water, 
being  a  channel  of  200  or  300  feet  wide. 
— See  Ency.  Rel.Knowl.,  p. 7700. 

The  river  overflowed  itsibanks  in  the 
time  of  harvest;  Josh,  iii:  15.  It  was  a 
proper  place  for  dipping;  2,  Kings  v:  14. 
Persons  were. in  the  habit  of  crossing  it 
in  ferry  boats;  "2  Sam.  xix:  18.  It  was 
fordable  only  in  particular  places;  Judgj. 
iii:  28;  xii:  ~5.  A  miracle  had  to  be 
performed   in  order    that  the    children 


JOHN  BATlZlN'G  IN  ENCN'.' 

of  Israel  might  cross  it;  Josh,  iii;  Jose- 
phus'  Jewish  War,  B.  5,  §  3.  Do  those 
who  practice  sprinkling  or  pouring  gen- 
erally resort  to  such  places  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  the  rite? 

"  John  was  baptizing  in  Enon,  near  to- 
SaJi?n,  because  there  teas  much  water 
there;  John  iii:  23.  Where  was  Enon? 
Let  the  Methodist  Sabbath  School  Dic- 
tionary answer — "a  place  eight  miles 
south  of  Scythopolis,  between  Salim  and 
Jordan,"  p.  137.  Also  Adam  Clarke's 
Notes  in  loco.  Its  modern  name  is  Me* 
zar  Abou  Obeid. — See  Ency.  of  Geo., 
vol.  2,  p.  250. 

Tn-e  reason  for  the  selection  of  this 
place  is  stated — "because  there  was 
much  water  there,"  and  any  candid  man 
can  see  that  the  water  was  used  for  bap- 
tising. Suppose  we  read  it  thus:  John 
was  sprinkling  at  Encn,  near  to  Salim, 
because  there  was  much  water  there! 
Or  suppose  we  say:  '-There  are  several 
grist  mills  in  Zanesvillo,  because  there 
is  a  fine  river  there."  'Would  any  be  in- 
clined to  affirm  that  the  river  was  neces- 
sary, not  for  the  mills,  but  to  furnish 
drink  for  ';  dromedaries,  mules  and 
asses;"  or  washing  the  garments  of 
those  who  were  employed  in  the  mills? 


HUDATA    POLLA MUCH  WATER.  13 

3utsuppo.se  some  sage  critic  would  de- 
ny the  proper  meaning  of  Grist-Mills 
thus:  "Grist  means  supply,  or  provis- 
ion. Mills  do  not  need  these;  water  is 
designed  for  man.  As  to  the  term  Mills, 
nothing  can  be  made  out  of  it.  The 
word  is  sometimes  applied  to  that  which 
requires  no  water  at  all — bark- mill,  cof- 
fee-mill," &c.  This,  to  the  religious 
re  a  ler,  would  seem  like  trifling,  and  yet 
it  bears*  a /Strong  analogy  to  the  reason- 
ing of  those  who  would  make  void  the 
command  of  God  by  their  own  tradition. 
The  words  :  hudata  poila — rendered 
much  water,  are  said ,;  by  the  advocates 
of  sprinkling,  to  mean  "many  small 
streams  or  rivulets."  The  proof  of  this 
can  not  be  drawn  from  the  use  of  these 
words  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  nor  from 
the  plural  form  of  the  terms.  The  word 
hudata,  (waters.)  is  applied  in  its  plural 
form  to  the  river  Jordan,  confined  with- 
in a  single  channel,  2  'Kings  ii:  14;  and 
to  the  sea,  where  the  '  waters  form  but 
one  collection,  Mat.  viii:  32.  Homer 
uses  hudrJT  and  hudata  interchangeably 
— *  throwing  him  -.(eis  hudor)  into  the 
water,  and  he  immediately  /expired  (en 
Irtdasin)  in  the  waters." — Batrachom, 
99.  Orpheus  speaks  of  the  sacred 
waters,  (huddla)  of  the  Euphrates. 


14         BIBLE  USE  OF  THE  WORDS MUCH  WATER. 

The  uscof  these  words  in  the  Bible, 
proves  their  meaning,  and  that  the  singu- 
lar and  plural  forms  are  interchangeably 
used.  They  are  applied  to  ih-e  Ocean, 
— Thy  way  is  in  the  sea,  thy  path  in  the 
great  waters,  Psa.  cvii:  23.  The  Ty- 
rians  are  said  to  transport  merchandise 
by  sea,  in  great  waters,  Isa.  xxiii:  3. 
Tyre  is  said  to  be  brought  into  great 
water,  broken  in  the  midst  of  the  seas, 
Eze.  xxvii:  26.  These  terms  are  used 
for  the  river  Euphrates,  Jer.  li:  33.  The 
King  of  Asyria,  on  account  of  his  me- 
tropolis being  on  the  Tigris,  i-s  said  to  be 
flourishing,  because  of  -much  water, 
Eze.  xxxi:  -7.  The  rushing  of  nations 
is  compared  to  the  rushing  of  mighty 
waters,  Isa.  xvii:  12,  13.  The  thunder 
-which  agitates  clouds,  charged  with 
floods,  is  called  the  voice  of 'the  Lord 
upon  many  waters,  Rev.  i:  15,  Psa. 
xxis:  5,  xciii:  4.  The  majesty  of  the 
heavenly  host  is  represented  like  the 
noise  of  great  waters,  or  the  voice  of  the 
Almighty,  Eze.  i:  24.  Attachment  which 
mortifications  can  not  annihilate  is  call- 
ed a  love  which  many  waters  can  not 
quench,  nor  floods  drown,  Psa.  xxix:  3; 
Cant,  viii:  7.  The<term  is  used  forthe 
in  Gibeon,  (Jer.   xli:   12,) 


JOHN   BAPTIZING  IN  BETHABARA.  15 

where  two  hostile  armies  met  and  fought 
a  battle,  2  Sam.  ii:  12-17.  The  fore- 
going use  of  these  words  ill  comport 
with  the  idea  of  sprinkling  or  pouring; 
or  do  these  words  mean  much  water, 
when  applied  to  other  things;  but  a  small 
quantity  when  applied  to  baptism? 

"John  iva€  baptizing  in  Bcthabara,  be- 
yond Jordan,"  John  i:  28.  Beth  is  a 
Hebrew  word  signifying  house.  Abara 
is  a  Hebrew  word  signifying  crossing  or 
.passage.  Bethabara  was  a  ferry  house 
on  the  river  Jordan,  It  is  called  Beth- 
bara  in  the  Old  Testament,  Jud.  vii:  24; 
Josh.ii:7;  iii:  15,16.  Its -modern  name 
is  Mousan;  Ency.  of  Geo.,  vol.  2,  n.  251. 
Methodist  Sabbath  School  Diet,  says: — 
"Bethabara  sigaines,  in  the  Hebrew,  a 
place  of  crossing,  because  k  was  a  ford 
on  the  river  Jordan,  on  the  East  bank  cf 
which  river  it  stood  over  against  Jericho^' 
p.  61.  See  also  Dr.  Clarke's  Notes  m 
loco;  Benson's  .Com.  do.;  Ency.  Reli. 
Knowl.,  p.  22£. 

2  Circumstances. — -"And  were  bap- 
tized of  him  in  Jordan.'- — In  the  Greek: 
language  there  are  about  eighteen  prep- 
ositions, six  of  these  are  monosyllables, 
and  twelve  dissyllables.  The  English 
language  has  about  fifty,,  to  each  of  which 


m  GREEK  PREPOSITION'— EN". 

from  five  to  thirty  definitions  are  given. 
This  furnishes  a  rich  field  for  the  caviller. 
One  preposition  is  often  used  for  another 
in  the  English  language,  much  more  so 
in  Greek,-  as  the  number  of  prepositions 
are  less.  The  English  scholar,  howev- 
er, finds  no  serious  difficulty,  in  his  lan- 
guage, to  understand  the  difference  be- 
tween one  preposition  and  another. 
'  EN— in. 

The  preposition  en  (in)  occurs  in  the 
New  Testament  2542  times,  it  is  trans- 
lated by  the  word  in,  1977  times;  by 
within  12  times;  by  the  word  among  121 
times;  into  19  times;  under  2;  upon  3. 
Total,  2 1 34.  In  the  remaining  408  times, 
it  is  translated  by  no  less  than  35  other 
words.  Its  obvious  meaning,  from  the 
foregoing,  must  be  evident  to  every  can- 
did reader. 

It  is  translated  by  the  word  in  225 
times  in  Matthew;  101  times  in  Mark; 
265  times  in  Luke,  and  168  times  in 
John.  It  would  be  as  consistent  to  say 
that  John  preached  with  the  wilderness 
of  Judea,  or  baptized  with  the  river  of 
Jordan,  as  to  say  that  he  baptized  with 
water.  The  very  same  word  is  used  in 
the  original.  The  Vulgate,  Syriac,  Ara- 
bic, and    Ethiopic  versions;    and  Tyn- 


EIS! — INTO.  17 

dal's   and    George   Campbell's  transla- 
tions into  the  English,  render  it  '•in  water.' 
Every    Lexicon  and  Elementary  Greek 
book,  sives  in  as  its  primary  meaning. 
EIS— into. 

"And  they  went  both  down  into  (eis). 
the  water." — Acts  viii:  33. 

Eis  occurs  in  the  four  Gospels  alone 
no  less  than  795  times.  It  is  translated 
into  372  times:  by  to,  designating  an 
entrance  into  a  house,  the  temple,  cities, 
arid  villages,  more  than  100  times,  where 
into  would  be  its  proper  rendering,  and 
is  m  fact  the  meaning  of  the  term;  thus 
making  in  all  about  500  times,  It  is 
translated  into  in  Matthew  alone  121 
times.  Where  a  penetration  into  a  place 
is  expressed,  it  is,  the  only  preposition 
which  can  be  properly  used. 

The  criticism  made  by  rantizers  upon 
this  word,  if  true,  would  as  effectually 
keep  the  saints  out  of  heaven,  Noah  out 
of  the  ark,  the  wicked  out  of  hell — out 
of  everlasting  punishment;  the  righteous 
out  of  life  eternal;  Daniel  out  of  the 
lions'  den,  Jonah  out  of  the  sea;  the 
herd  of  swine  out  of  the  Lake  of  Gen- 
essareth — as  they  can  keep  the  baptis- 
mal candidate  out  of  the  water.  The 
same  word  is  used,  in  connexion  with; 


18  APO — OUT  OF. 

appropriate  verbs,  in  all  these  instan- 
ces. 

Indeed,  in  the  case  of  the  Eunuch,  the 
Holy  Spirit  has  been  remarkably  pre- 
cise. They  came  to  (epi)  a  certain 
water,  and  they  went  down  into  (eis)  the 
water.  Mark  the  distinction  made  be- 
tween coming  to  the  water  and  entering 
into  it  for  the  administration  of  the  rite. 
APO. 

"And  Jesus,  when  he  was  baptized, 
went  up  straightway  out  of  (apo)  the  wa- 
ter," Mat.  iii:  16.  Aj)o  is  rendered  out 
of  46  times  in  the  New  Testament — 17 
times  in  Luke  alone.  In  many  instances 
where  it  is  rendered  from,  the  expression 
out  of  is  perfectly  admissible.  Let  the 
reader  observe  the  following  passages, 
where  the  word  is  used:  Take  twelve 
stones  out  of  Jordan;  brought  me  up  out 
of  a  horrible  pit,  out  of  the  miry  clay; 
pull  out  the  mote,  out  of  thine  own  eye; 
Mary  Magdalene  out  of  whom  he  had 
east  seven  devils;  an  unclean  spirit 
came  >out  of  a  man;  devils  came  out  of 
many;  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their 
sight;  Peter  was  come  down  out.  of  the 
ship;  the  devil  taketh  away  the  word  out 
of  their  hearts;  then  went  the  devils  out 
of  the  man;  out  of  whom  the  devils  had 


ANABAINO — MEANING  OF.  19 


departed;  God  shall  take  away  his  name 
out  of  the  book  of  life,  out  of  the  holy 
city,  &c,  &c.  Will  the  advocates  of 
sprinkling  inform  us  what  word  or  words 
in  the  Greek  can  be  used  to  signify  out 
of,  if  apo  or  eks  will  not  do  it? 

Another  evidence  of  the  Savior  com- 
ing up  out  of  the  water  is  found  in  the 
use  of  the  term  anabaino,  rendered 
coining  up.  This  word  is  used  for  e- 
merging,  having  been  previously  Emer- 
ged. The  N.  Testament  will  furnish  no 
exception,  when  the  word  is  used  in  con- 
nection with  water.  "Go  thou  to  the 
sea,  and  cast  in  a  hook,  and  take  up  "the 
fish  that  first  cometh  up"  (anabanta.) 
The  fish  certainly  was  in  the  sea.  "And 
I  stood  upon  the  sand  of  the  sea,  and 
saw  a  beast  rising  up  out  of  the  sea," 
(anabainon.)  "Another  beast  coming 
out  (anabainon)  of  the  sea."  In  Tobit. 
vi:  2,  it  is  said  of  a  "young  man  who 
went  down  to  the  river  Tigris  to  bathe. 
that  a  fish  leaped  out  (anabainon)  of  the 

river  to  devour  him." 

EK  or  EKS— out  of. 

"And  when  they  were  come  up  (ana 

baino)  out  of  the   water" — (ek  hudor,) 

Acts  viii:  39.    In  the  case  of  the  Eunuch, 

the  Holy  Spirit    has    selected    another 


EK  OR  EKS — OUT  OF. 

preposition,  but  the  advocates  of  sprink- 
ling are  no  better  pleased  with  ek  than 
they  seem  to  be  with  apo.  All  words 
must  lose  their  meaning  when  they  con- 
flict with  the  favorite  dogma  of  the  sects. 
Still  ck  is  translated  out  of.  161  times  in 
the  New  Testament;  17  times  in  Mat- 
thew; 17  times  in  Mark;  15  times  in 
Luke,  and  20  times  in  John,  Out  of  is 
the  primary  meaning  of  the  word. 

This  word  is  used,  with  appropriate 
verbs,  to  designate  the  actions  of  persons 
or  things,  coming  out  of  the  Temple,  Syn- 
agogue, house,  ship,  tombs,  grave,  sepul- 
chre; out  of  Jerusalem,  Sion,  Nazareth, 
Juclea,  Galilee,  the  land  of  Egypt,the  land 
of  the  Chaldeans,  the  Holy  city;  out  of 
afflictions,  sleep,  darkness,  fire,  smoke, 
the  sea,  the  earth,  the  bottomless  pit; 
out  of  this  world,  of  prison,  of  tribula- 
tion; out  of  the  body,  mouth,  heart, 
womb;  out  of  the  loins  of  Abraham,  out 
of  heaven,  out  of  the  church,  devils  com- 
ing out  of  men,  &c,  &c.  Is  it  possible 
that  a  word  means  out  of  in  all  these  re- 
lations, and  loses  its  primary  meaning 
when  used  in  relation  to  water?  Who 
can  charitably  account  for  this?. 


CHRISTIAN  CHARACTER  OF  JOHN'S  BAPTISM.      21 

OBJECTIONS  STATED  AND  ANS  WE  RED. 

Being  conscious  that  the  evidence 
furnished  in  the  New  Testament,  in  re- 
gard to  John's  Baptism,  is  clearly  in  fa- 
vor of  immersion,  the  most  inventive 
genius  has  been  taxed  to  devise  some 
plan  to  countermand  this  influence,  and 
save  the  trouble  of  going  into  the  water. 

l.  was  Christ's  baptism  a  christian 

INSTITUTION? 

Dr.  Lightfoot  suggested  that  Christ 
was  baptized  to  initiate  him  into  the 
Priesthood,  according  to  the  ceremonial 
law.  The  idea  entitled  him  to  a  vote  of 
thanks  from  his  brethren.  The  candid 
reader  will  consider  the  following  facts: 

1  Jesus  Christ  was  of  the  tribe  of  Ju- 
dah,  of  the  house  of  David.  The  Jew- 
ish priests  were  required  to  be  of  the 
tribe  of  Levi  and  of  the  house  of  Aaron. 
Christ  could  not  be  inducted  into  the 
priesthood  according  to  the  Levitical 
law,  nor  offer  incense  under  pain  of 
death. — See  Exo.  xxviii:  43;  Numbers 
i:  51.  viii:  7 — 16,  xvi:  40.' 

2  Had  Jesus  been  of  the  proper  tribe 
for  the  priesthood,  his  baptism  by  John 
in  Jordan,  could  not  induct  him  into  the 
priestly  office,  according  to  the  Mosaic 


22  DESIGN  OF  CHRIST^S  BAPTISSf. 

law.  The  manner  of  inducting  the  priest 
is  recorded  in  Exod.  xxix:  1-4.  Where 
on  this  occasion  were  the  required  sac- 
rifice, the  basket  of  unleavened  bread, 
the  girdle,,  the  breast- plate,  the  mitre, 
the  wave  offering,  the  boiling  of  flesh, 
the  burning  of  bread,  the  application  of 
blood  to  the  right  hand,  and  to  the  great 
toe  of  the  right  foot,  &c?  Why  was  it 
not  done  at  the  door  of  the  Tabernacle, 
and  not  in  Jordan? 

3  Paul  had  a  more  correct  idea  of 
this  matter  when  he  said,  "Christ  was 
not  made  a  priest  after  the  law  of  carnal 
commandments,- but  after  the  power  of 
endless  life,"    Heb.  vii:  16. 

4  Christ  was  made  a  priest,  not  after 
the  order  of  Aaron,  but  after  the  order 
of  Melchizedec.  Did  that  order  require 
his  baptism?  Was  Melchizedec  induct- 
ed into  the  priesthood  in  that  way?  The 
design  of  Jesus'  baptism  was  nothing 
less  than  to  set  an  example  before  his 
followers. — See  Doddridge  Fam.  Ex.  on 
Mat.  iii:  13-15;  Dr.  Scott's  Com.  Mat. 
iii:  13-15. 

ii.  was  john's  baptism  a  christian 

ORDINANCE? 

If  the  action  and  subjects  of  John's 
Baptism    were    not     inconsistent    with 


John's  baptism  a  christian  ordinance,      23 

sprinkling  water  upon  infants,  it  is  dif- 
ficult to  account  why  those  who  derive 
their  candidates  from  Jewish  circumcis- 
ion, and  their  mode  from  the  sprinklings 
of  the  Levitical  priesthood,  should  wish 
to  take  away  the  christian  character  of 
John's  Baptism.  It  surely  stands  much 
nearer  the  Gospel  dispensation  than  cer- 
emonial sprinkling  of  ashes,  oil,  blood, 
or  the  water  of  purification — much  near- 
er than  Isaiah's  sprinkling  of  many  na- 
tions, or  Ezekiel's  sprinkling  of  clean 
water  to  cleanse  from  idolatry  and  filthi- 
ness.  Why  then  pronounce  it  a  Jewish 
rite,  an  unchristian  ceremony — espe- 
cially since  the  Founder  of  Christianity 
honored  it  with  his  own  christian  char- 
acter. If  the  act  of  Jesus  is  not  a  chris- 
tian act,  what  is? 

1  God  sent  John  to  baptise,  John  i: 
33.  No  section  of  the  Jewish  code  en- 
joined his  ministry. 

2  The  Jewish  priesthood  never  recog- 
nized him  as  belonging  to  their  number. 

3  His  ministry  and  that  of  Jesus  and 
his  disciples,  were  of  the  same  charac- 
ter. If  one  was  christian,  so  was  the 
other-  Christ  and  his  disciples  were 
preaching  repentance;  so  was  John. 
Christ,  by  his  disciples,  made  and  bap- 


24         -Christ's  baptism  a  christian  act, 

tized  more  disciples  than  John.  Their 
ministry  existed  at  the  same  time,  among 
the  same  people,  and  entire  harmony 
and  fellowship  existed  between  them. 

4  Jesus  said,  the  "Law  and  the  pro- 
phets were  until  John,  since  that  time  the 
kingdom  of  God  is  preached,"  Luke 
xvi:  16.  "From  the  da}rs  of  John  the 
Baptist  until  now  the  kingdom  of  heaven 
suffereth  violence,"  Mat.  xi:  12,  13. 
The  kingdom  could  scarcely  be  preach- 
ed, or  suffer  violence,  before  it  had  an 
existence. 

5  Mark  calls  John's  ministry  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ; 
Mark  i:  1-4. 

6  The  ministry  of  John  is  associated, 
by  Peter,  with  the  beginning  of  the  gos- 
pel, Acts  i:  21,  22. 

7  If  John's  baptism  was  not  the  same 
as  that  of  Christ,  Paul  was  mistaken 
when  he  said,  One  Lord,  one  Faith,  one 
Baptism.  There  seems  to  be  more  than 
one  if  John's  baptism  is  not  a  Christian 
rite. 

Should  it  be  said  that  John's  baptism 
was  not  a  christian  ordinance,  because 
Jesus  had  not  yet  been  crucified,  we 
might  answer:  If  the  validity  of  a  chris- 
tian ordinance  should  depend  upon  its 
being  established  after  the  resurrection, 


BAPTISM  OF  THE  TWELVE  AT  EPHESUS.  25 

the  Lord's  Supper  must  be  as  much  of  a 
Jewish  rite  as  John's  baptism  is  said  to  be 
by  the  advocates  of  sprinkling.  The  Sup- 
per was  instituted  in  the  night  in  which 
Jesus  was  betrayed.  If  the  christian  dis- 
pensation did  not  commence  until  after 
the  resurrection,  there  were  no  christian 
ministers,  no  christian  disciples,  to  or- 
ganize the  Christian  church. 

Should  it  be  urged  that  John's  bap- 
tism was  not  administered  in  the  name 
of  the  Trinity,  and  therefore  invalid; 
it  is  sufficient  to  observe  that  the  law  re- 
quiring the  administration  of  this  rite  in 
the  name  of  the  Trinity,  could  not  be  in 
force  until  enacted. 

Mathew  Henry,  Dr.  Scott,  Dr.  A. 
Clarke,  Joseph  Benson,  &c,  in  their 
Commentaries  on  Mark  i:  1-4,  freely 
admit  that  the  Gospel  Dispensation  com- 
menced with  the  ministry  of  John. 

But  Paul  is  said  to  have  re-baptized 
the  Disciples  at  Ephesus.—Acts  xix: 
1-7. 

1  These  disciples  were  adults;  they 
weie  "believers,"  and  had  already  re- 
ceived the  ordinary  influences  of  the 
Spirit.  To  believe  is  the  work  of  God, 
Johnvi:  29;  and  none  can  believe  that 
Jesus  is  the  Lord,  except  by  the  Holy 
2 — A.  B. 


26  BAPTISM  OF  THE  TWELVE  AT  EPHESUS. 

Spirit;  1  Car.  xii:3.  They  had  not  heard 
of  the  extraordinary  gift  of  the  Spirit — 
or  his  miraculous  descent. 

2  Paul,  in  explaining  to  them  the  na- 
ture of  John's  baptism,  in  verses  4th  and 
5th,  says;  "When  tlieij  (i.  e.,  the  people 
to  whom  John  preached)  heard  this, 
(John's  preaching)  they  were  baptized 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus." 

3  If  these  disciples  were  re-baptized 
by  Paul,  it  must  have  been  owing  to  some 
defect  in  their  baptism.  Was  it  because 
they  had  not  received  the  Holy  Spirit 
before  baptism?  If  so,  our  friends 
should  not  censure  the  Baptists  for  ban- 
king those  who  were  '■dedicated"  in 
their  infamy.  VY  as  Paul  an  Anabap- 
tist? 

4  If  these  twelve  disciples  were  re- 
baptized  at  Ephesus,  was  their  second 
baptism  valid,  as  they  were  simply  bap- 
tized in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus — and 
not  in  the.  name  of  the  Trinity  as  the 
c  o  m  m  an  d  m  e n  t  re  q  ui  re  d  ? 

i,  Paul  sometime  after  this  speaks,  in 
Cor.  U  14-16,  of  the  baptism  of  Cri;> 
pus,  Gains,  and  the  household  of  >cte- 
phanus,  and  says  that  he  knows  of  n.o 
others. 

John  Calvin  Fisher  on  the  -Wesimin- 


THE  NUMBER  BAPTIZED  BY  JOHN.  27 

ister    Catechism,  &c,    &c,    deny    that 
these  disciples  were  re-baptized. 

IT  IS  OBJECTED  TO  JOHN  IMMERSING  SO 
MANY  IN  SO  SHORT  A  TIME. 

The  objection  is  stated  thus:  "John's 
ministry  continued  for  about  18  months; 
he  baptized  all  Judea,  and  the  region 
round  about  Jordan."  The  interpreta- 
tion given  to  Mat.  iii:  5,  6,  by  rantizers. 
savors  strongly  of  infidelity,  by  setting 
one  portion  of  the  Scriptures  against  an- 
other. They  suppose,  without  evidence, 
or  even  probability,  that  the  population 
of  Judea  amounted  to  three  or  four  mil- 
lions. Dr.  Ralston  is  entitled  to  the 
right  of  discovery  here.  The  Bible 
facts  are  as  follows: 

1  The  word  all,  when  used  in  such 
coi-nection,  does  not  imply  each  one* 
Proof. —  Of  Christ  it  is  said,  "all  men 
came  unto  him."  "All  men  seek  thee." 
"I  please  all  men  in  all  things."  "All 
countries  went  to  Egypt  to  buy  corn," 
Scores  of  other  instances  might  be  given 
where  the  word  is  used  in  a  limited 
sense, 

2  John  refused  baptism  to  two  of  the 
most  numerous  sects  in  Judea — the 
Pharisees  andSaducees. — Mat.  iii:  !"    n 

3  He  refused  another  class — the  Pup*  • 
Heaps.. — Luke  iii:  12. 


23  DESIGN  OF  BAPTISM. 

4  Many  rejected  the  counsel  of  God 
against  themselves,  being  not  baptized 
of  him. — Luke  vii:  30. 

5  Jesus  made  and  baptized  more  dis- 
ciples than  John,  Johniii:  22,  iv:  1.  In 
fact  it  is  said  that  the  same  baptizeth, 
and  all  men  come  to  him,  John  iii:  26 — 
30.  Upon  the  principle  by  which  the 
advocates  of  sprinkling  construe  the 
word  all,  in  Matthew  iii:  5,  6.,  it  may  be 
denied  that  any  candidates  were  left  for 
John,  unless  John  and  Jesus  were  re-bap- 
tizers  or  Ana-baptists. 

G  But  does  not  the  number  baptized 
by  John,  militate  as  effectually  against 
the  idea  of  sprinkling  as  against  im- 
mersion? Does  it  require  less  time  for  a 
Pa?do-baptist  of  modern  days  to  perforin 
the  ceremony  of  sprinkling  water  on  the 
forehead  of  an  infant,  than  for  a  Baptist 
to  immerse  a  candidate?  Let  facts  re- 
,,!y. 

7  Let  those  who  oppose  immersion 
remember,  when  estimating  the  popula- 
tion of  Judea,  that  John  baptized  none, 
except  those  who  confessed  their  sins, 
and  were  willing  to  bring  forth  fruit  meet 
for  repentance. 

IV.    THE  DESIGN   OF  THE  INSTITUTION. 

I    The  ordinance   is   designed  figura- 


DFS1GN  OF  BAPTISM,  29 

tively  to  denote  our  internal  cleansing, 
and  thus  becomes  a  beautiful  emblem  c  ± 
our  moral  purification.  Hence  Peter 
speaks  of  being  baptized  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins,  Acts  ii:  38;  of  baptism  be- 
ing the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  to- 
wards God,  1  Pet.  iii:  21;  and  Ananias 
says  to  Saul,  Arise  and  be  baptized  and 
wash  away  thy  sins,  &c,  Acts  xxii:  16. 
It  is  difficult  to  understand  tnese  passa- 
ges in  any  other  wav. 

2  A  formal  and  practical  'profession 
of  Christianity  is  made  in  baptism, — On 
this  account  the  convert  is  said  to  be 
baptized  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
Acts  ii:  38,  viii:  16,  x:  48,  xix:  5;  i.  e., 
into  an  acknowledgment  of  his  authority 
and  character.  The  Israelites  were  bap- 
tized unto  Moses,  in  the  cloud  and  in  the 
sea;  i.  e.,  into  a  recognition  and  ac- 
knowledgment of  Moses'  authority  as 
their  leader.  Having  this  understand- 
ing as  to  the  design  of  baptism,  Paul,  in 
order  to  quell  a  difficulty  respecting  min- 
isters at  Corinth,  reminds  the  Corinthians 
that  they  were  baptised  into  Christ,  and 
not  in  the  name  of  Paul,  I  Cor.  i:  12-15, 
Rom.  vi:  3. 

3  Baptism  constitutes  a  visible  line 
of  demarcation  between  the  church  and 


30  BAPTISM  A  SYMBOL  OF  DEATH,   &C. 

the  world. — 'Those  who  become  Christ's 
disciples  are  required  to  "confess  him 
before  men,"  and  identify  themselves 
with  his  people.  Jesus  taught  the  entire 
separation  .of  his  church  from  the  world 
in  many  passages,  John  xv.  19,  xvii:  6, 
9,  20,  21,  xviii:  36.  So  did  his  disci- 
ples, 2  Cor.  vi:  14-13.  The  baptized 
having  thus  come  out  from  the  world,  is 
said  to  have  put  on  Christ,  Gal.  iii:  27. 
—assumed  his  lovely  character — became 
his  representative— in  token  of  which  he 
puts  on  the  badge  of  disci pleship. 

4  Baptism  is  represented  as  a  sym- 
bol of  death  to  sin,  and  resurrection  to 
hevmess  of  life. — Such  is  the  represen- 
tation in  Romvi:  1 — 5;Colii:  12:  "Bap- 
tized unto  His  death,"  i.  e.  into  a  con- 
formity to  Christ  with  respect  to  His 
death.  "Planted  in  the  likeness  of  His 
death,"  &c.  For  ye  are  dead  and  your 
life  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God.  Col.  iii,  3. 
in  this  solemn  rite,  the  candidate  is  not 
only  represented  as  dead  to  sin,  but  is 
buried  with  Christ  in  baptism,  wherein 
also  he  is  risen  with  Him, — that  like  as 
Christ  was  raised  up  from  the  dead  by 
by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  even  so,  we 
also  should  walk  in  newness  of  life. — 
The  figure   employed  by  the   apostle  is 


BAPTISM  A  BURIAL.  31 

that  of  a  butial  in  the  grave,  and  that 
figure  is  found  in  baptism.  Had  there 
been  no  resemblance  between  the  rite  of 
baptism  and  a  burial,  he  would  never 
have  compared  baptism  of  any  kind  to 
a  burial. 

We  are  never  said  to  be  buried  in  cir- 
cumcision, or  to  be  risen  therein  to  new- 
ness of  life,  as  there  is  no  resemblance 
between  circumcision  and  a  burial.— 
Had  baptism  consisted  in  sprinkling  or 
pouring,  we  should  never  have  heard  of 
being  buried  in  baptism. 

To  say  that  to  be  buried  with  Christ 
in  baptism  has  no  allusion  to  water  bap- 
tism, but  to  the  baptism  of  the  spirit,  is 
an  admission  that  the  baptism  of  the 
spirit  is  a  burial.  If  the  baptism  of  the 
spirit  involves  a  burial,  can  the  symbol 
by  which  it  is  represented  be  anything 
less  than  a  burial? 

In  these  passages  we  are  also  told  that 
we  are  risen  with  Christ — a  resurrection. 
The  resurrection  of  Christ  is  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Christian's  faith.  1  Cor.  xv, 
17.  The.  resurrection  of  the  body  is 
the  object  of  the  Christian's  hope.  1  Pet 
i,  3;  hence  the  necessity  of  confirming 
the  resurrection  by  a  memorial.  For 
this  reason,  Paul  says:  "If  the  dead  rise 


32  FIGURATIVE  ITSE  OF  THE  ^.VORD. 

not  at  all,  why  are  they  then  baptized  for 
the  dead,"  i.  e.,  if  there  be  no  resur- 
rection of  the  dead,  why  is  baptism  so 
significant  a  symbol  of  the  resurrection? 
Some  of  the  Corinthians  having  in  bap- 
tism symbolized  the  resurrection,  were 
disposed  to  ask,  "with  what  body  will 
•  hey  rise?"  &c.  Those  who  pretend  to 
see  no  resemblance  between  baptism 
and  a  burial,  because  the  candidate  is 
npt  drowned,  canuot  certainly  see  any 
resemblance  between  Jonah  in  the  fish, 
and  a  body  in  the  grave;  but  as  burial 
implies  a  covering  out  of  sight,  Jonah 
is  said  to  have  been  buried. 

Y,  THE.  FIGURATIVE  USES  OF  THE  WORF> 
BAPTISM  CLEARLY  LIMIT  ITS  MEANING 
TO  IMMERSION. 

I.  Christ  represents  his  sufferings  un- 
der the  figure  of  "a  baptism,"  Mat.  xx: 
2%  23,  Luke  xii:  50.  Can  sprinkling  a 
little  water  on  the  face,  appropriately  ex- 
hibit an  image  of  the  overwhelming  suf- 
ferings of  Christ?  If  Jesus  designed 
the  ordinance  of  baptism  to  exhibit,  in  a 
beautiful  emblem,  the  overwhelming  suf- 
ferings of  his  soul,  how  that  design  is 
frustrated  by  sprinkling?  Observe  the 
christian  convert  as  he  comes  up  out  of 
the  water,  having  been  enveloped  in  it 


FIGURE  OF  BAPTISM  IN-  THE  CLOUD  AN'D  3£a,         33 

How  the  water  flows  from  his  head,,  his 
hands,  his  feet — marks  the  pathway  he 
treads.  O,  my  soul,  think  of  the  bap- 
tism of  the  blessed  Jesus,  when  he  was 
'overwhelmed  in  sufferings,  and  plunged 
in  death.  Concerning  these  sufferings 
the  Psalmist  represents  Jesus  as  say- 
ing, "I  am  come  into  deep  waters,  where 
the  floods  overflow  me,"  Psa,  lxix:  2. 
How  common  it  is  in  all  languages  to 
say,  "overwhelmed  in  grief,"  immersed 
in  afflictions,  plunged  in  sorrow. — See 
G.  Campbell's  Notes,  vol.  iv,  p.  128; 
Doddridge's  Fam.  Ex.,  in  loco;  Hervey's 
Theron  and  Aspasio,  vol.  ii,  let.  7. 

II.   The    passage   of  the  children  of 
Israel  through  the  Red.  Sea  is  represent- 
ed as    baptism,  1  Cor.  x:    1.     The  his- 
tory of  that  occurrence   is  recorded  in 
Exod.xiv:  19-22. 

1  They  went  down  into  the  sea,  and 
came  up  out  of  it.  The  candidate  in 
baptism  goes  down  into  the  water,  and 
comes  up  out  of  it. 

2  The  sea  was  a  "wall  unto  them  on 
the  right  hand  and  on  the  left."  The 
apostle  informs  us  that  they  were  under 
the  cloud.  A -cloud  of  darkness  stood 
between  them  and  the  Egyptians,  while 
the  cloud  of  Are  gave  them  light.    They 

2 


34 


NOAH  IN  THE  ARK. 


were  covered  and  concealed  out  of  sight, 
as  the  baptized  is  surrounded  in  water. 
They  "went  into  the  midst  of  the  sea 
upon  dry  ground."  To  suppose  that 
they  were  sprinkled  from  the  cloud,  is  to 
become  wise  above  what  is  written. 
Some  authors  have  quoted  Psa.  lxxvii: 
17,  as  describing  the  passage  of  Israel 
through  the  lied  Sea.  The  Psalmist 
describes  the  wonders  of  God  at  Mt. 
Sinai,  when  the  voice  of  His  thunder 
was  in  the  Heavens,  &c.  If  the  clouds 
"poured  out  water"  upon  the  children  of 
Israel  in  the  Red  Sea,  is  it  true  that 
they  went  "into  the  midst  of  the  sea  up- 
on the  dry  ground?"  What!  dry,  and 
pouring  out  water  all  the  time  from  a 
cloud  of  fire  by  night,  and  of  shade  by 
day!  Let  the  honest  reader  consider 
the  situation  of  the  Jews  ilin  the  cloud, 
and  in  the  sea,"  both  being  required  to 
make  anything  like  baptism,  and  decide 
whether  the  sprinkling  of  a  few  drops  of 
water,  or  a  total  burial  in  water,  is  the 
roost  legitimate  inference. 

3.  This  baptism  is  not  literal  but  fig- 
urative. This  fact  is  acknowledged  by 
John  Wesley,  and  a  host  of  others. — 
J)r,  Clarke  calls  it  a  "typical  baptism." 

Jllf     The  situation  of  Noah  and   his 


BAPTISM  OF  THE  SPIRIT.  35 

family  shut  up  in  the  ark,  surrounded  by 
the  mighty  torrents,  when  the  "windows 
of  heaven  were  opened,"  and  the  foun- 
tains of  the  deep  were  broken  up"  was 
an  emblem  of  Baptism.   1  Pet.  iii:  20. 

BAPTISM  OF  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT. 

IV.  The  abounding  and  overwhelm- 
ing influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  is  called  Baptism. 
Mat.  iii:  11,  Mar.  i:  8,  John  i:  26.  If 
the  example  of  Jesus  in  giving  the  Holy 
Spirit,  can  direct  us  to  ascertain  the  ac- 
tion of  baptism,  we  must  not  overlook 
the  circumstances  of  the  case.  The 
disciples  were  in  an  upper  room,  Act.  i: 
13,  The  number  together  were  about 
120;  ver.  15,  "Suddenly  there  came 
from  Heaven  a  sound,  as-  of  a  mighty 
rushing  wind,  and  it  filled  all  the  house 
in  which  they  were  sitting,"  chap,  ii:  2. 
"And  they  were  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit."  Verse  4.  They  were  so  com- 
pletely overwhelmed  in  the  spirit  as  a 
man  is  enveloped  in  air.  The  abun- 
dance of  the  spirit  on  this  occasion  no 
one  denies,  and  those  who  pray  "baptize 
Us  with  the  Holy  Ghost,"  mean  no  less 
than  an  entire  overwhelming  in  the  divine 
influence. 

1.  The  subjects  of  this  baptism  were 


36  BAPTISM  OP  THE  SPiRFf . 

believers — -able  to  pray,  &c.  "They 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
spake  with  tongues."  &c,  verse  4. 

2.  The  manner  of  the  spirit's  descent 
is  not  the  baptism,  any  more  than  the 
pouring  of  water  into  a  bath  is  the  bath- 
ing. Pedo-baptists,  when  speaking  of 
the  "Baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost  being 
done  by  pouring,  confound  things  which 
are  different.  The  pouring  was  over 
before  the  baptism  began,  as  the  river 
flows  over  the  candidate  before  the  im- 
mersion is  performed,  or  the  water  is 
poured  into  a  baptistery  before  the  bap- 
tism is  administered.  Where  the  term 
pouring  is  used  with  relation  to  the  Holy 
Ghost,  in  Acts  x;  45,  we,  read  thus: — 
"On  the  Gentiles,  also,  was  poured  out 
the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  What  was 
this  gift?  "Speaking  with  tongues,"  v. 
4G.  There  is  a  difference  between  the 
spirit  and  his  gifts — there  are  diversities 
ai  gifts  but  the  same  spirit.  1  Cor.  xii: 
4,  8,9. 

3.  Another  fallacy  in  the  argument  of 
Pedo-baptists  from  the  Baptism  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  consists  in  predicating  lit- 
eral hj  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  properties 
of  a  material  substance.  They  conjoin 
the  corporeal  and  incorporeal;  confound 


fcAfTISM  OP  THE  SflRlT.  37 

the  literal  and  the  figurative.  Between 
water  and  spirit  in  the  actual  operation 
there  can  be  no  analogy.  In  all  the 
similitudes  of  the  Holy  Spirit  drawn 
from  material  objects,  the  point  to  be  il- 
lustrated is  not  the  manner  of  the  spirit's 
operation,  but  the  effect  produced  by  his 
power.  David  says,  (Psalms  li:  i,  2;) 
"Wash  me  thoroughly  from  mine  ini- 
quity." Paul  says,  "But  ye  are  wash- 
ed," &c.  Neither  of  these  men  refers 
to  a  literal  washing,  but  to  the  result  of 
*he  Spirit's  power.  The  Christian  is  said 
to  "walk  after  the  Spirit."  The  figure 
is  founded  upon  the  progress  made,  not 
in  the  manner  in  which  the  steps  are  ta- 
ken. The  believer  is  said  to  be  "born  of 
the  Spirit,"  the  figure  is  based  upon  the 
result,  the  being  produced,  not  to  the 
manner  of  his  coming  into  the  world. — 
So  of  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit, — 
The  figure  is  based  upon  the  overwhelm- 
ing influence  of  the  Spirit,  which  filled 
the  house  in  which  they  were  sitting, 
and  enabled  them  to  speak  with  tongues, 
&e.  No  allusion  is  had  in  the  figure  to 
the  manner  of  the  Spirit's  descent. 

4  This  is  made  still  more  evident  by 
other  expressions  which  are  employed 
with    reference  to  the   descent   of    the 


38  BAPTISM  OF  THE  SPIRIT. 

Spirit.  Should  these  expressions  be  con- 
strued upon  the  same  principle  as  Peedo- 
daptists  represent  the  word  pouring  in 
relation  to  the  Spirit,  the  absurdity  of 
the  position  will  become  irreverent  and 
profane.  "The  Holy  Spirit  was  poured 
out,  therefore  Water  must  be  poured  in 
baptism."  Well,  the  communicating  of 
the  Spirit  is  expressed  by  sending  in 
Luke  xxiv:  29,  therefore  baptism  must 
be  performed  by  sending.  The  same  is 
expressed  by  sitting,  in  Acts  ii:  3;  hence 
baptism  must  be  performed  by  sifting. 
The  same  idea  is  conveyed  by  se/iling, 
(Eph.  i:  13;)  giving,  (Acts  xv:  8;)  shed- 
ding forth,  (Acts  ii:  33;)breathing,  (John 
xx:  22;)  falling  on,  (Acts  viii:  44:)  drink- 
ing, (John  vii:  37-39;)  annointing,  (Isa. 
lxi:  1,  2  Cor, ii:  21,  22.)  Are  we  to  in- 
fer from  these  expressions  that  baptism 
is  to  be  performed  by  sealing,  giving, 
shedding  foith,  breathing,  falling  on, 
annointing,  &c?     Surely  not. 

5.  In  harmony  with  the  idea  of  the 
overwhelming  character  of  the  spirit's 
influence,  we  are  told  that  christians  are 
in  the  Spirit,  Rom  i:  10.  iv:  2.  Live, 
walk,  and  dwell  in  the  Spirit,  Gal.  v:  16, 
17,  Rom.  viii:  9.  Are  filled  with  the 
Spirit,  Eph.  v:  18.     The  Spirit  is  repre- 


UAPTISil  OF  THE  SPIRITv  39 

sented  as  beneath  and  around  us — an 
all-prevading  presence.  Where  shall  I 
flee  from  thy  Spirit?  It  is  presented  un- 
der the  similitudes  of  "a  river  of  life," 
"floods  upon  the  dry  ground,"  a  "cloud 
of  dew  in  the  heat  of  harvest."  How 
accordant  it  must  be  with  the  genius  of 
the  Bible,  to  speak  of  an  immersion  in 
the  influences  of  the  Spirit!  This  form 
of  expression  can  be  offensive  only  to 
those  who  rantize,  and  who,  after  all, 
speak  of  being  immersed  in  care,  over- 
whelmed in  trouble,  bathed  in  tears,  and 
who  sing, 

"There shall  I  bathe  my  weary  soul, 

In  seas  of  Heavenly  rest." 

"And  sinners  plunged  beneath  that  flood, 

Losoall  their  guilty  stains," 

6.  Another  objection  to  the  theory  of 
pouring:  from  the  Baptism  of  the  Spirit, 
is  found  in  the  assumption,  that  in  a  pos- 
itive institution,  which  depends  upon  the 
will  of  the  law-giver,  the  thins  to  be  done 
is  not  to  be  learned  from  the  terms  of 
the  law,  but  from  the  moral  meaning 
of  the  rite,  and  then  choosing  for  our- 
selves the  manner  of  expressing  it.  No 
religious  observance  that  was  ever  en- 
joined in  any  law,  human  or  divine, 
could  endure  hv  a  day,  if  such   a  prin- 


49  BAPTISM  ON  THE  DAY  OF  PENTECOST. 

<eiple  were  admitted.  The  Popish  church 
has  adopted  this  principle,  and  has  ex- 
plained away,  in  the  view  of  the  multi- 
tude, all  God's  explicit  commands.  It 
is  the  essential  element  of  Jesuitism. 

7.  Such  interpretation  as  Paedo-bap- 
tists  adopt  with  reference  to  the  baptism 
of  the  Spirit,  sets  aside  that  plain  law  of 
language,  which  forbids  us  to  give  a  fig- 
urative meaning  of  a  word  precedence 
over  the  literal  and  proper. 

8.  The  principle  which  we  oppose, 
opens  a  wide  scope  for  the  vagaries  of 
superstition.  A  clear,  explicit  law  set- 
tles the  duty  which  k  enj-oins,  forbidding 
addition  or  diminution.  But  if  the  en 
acting  terms  of  the  law  are  ambiguous, 
uncertain,  determines  nothing,  &c.,  then 
superstition  may  luxuriate,  and  instead 
of  "three  modes,"  fifty  may  be  adopt- 
ed with  equal  plausibility,  for  "  where 
there  is  no  law,  there  is  no  transgres- 
sion." 

BAPTISM  ON  THE  DAY  OF  PENTECOST. 

"They  that  gladly  received  his  word 
were  baptized,  and  the  same  day  there 
were  added  unto  them  about  three 
thousand  souls,"  Acts  ii:  41. 

This  verse  affirms  a  fact  which  every 
Christian  is   required  to   believe.     But 


SCARCITY  OF  WATER.  41 

three  objections  are  urged  against  the 
immersion  of  the  converts  on  that  occa- 
sion: 

1  The  scarcity  of  water. — I  am  not 
bound  to  find  water  in  which  these  con- 
verts might  be  baptized.  The  fact  is  af- 
firmed, and  God  should  be  believed 
without  a  voucher.  It  is  written  that  the 
'•rich  man  died  and  was  buried,"  in 
Luke  xvi:  22.  In  order  to  prove  that 
fact,  f  am  not  bound  to  find  the  burying 
ground  within  half-a-mile,  a  sexton  to 
difr  the  grave,  an  undertaker  to  make  the 
coffin,  and  pa  11- bearers  to  carry  the 
body,  &c,  lest  some  sage  critic  should 
affirm  that  thapto  does  not  mean  to  bury. 
When  history  states  that  a  certain  man 
was  hanged,  it  is  not  necessary  for  me 
to  prove  that  the  jury  found  him  guilty, 
the  judge  pronounced  the  sentence  upon 
him.  It  is  no  part  of  my  duty  to  find 
who  was  the  rope-maker,  the  builder  of 
the  scaffold,  lest  some  minister  of  re- 
ligion should  deny  that  hang  means  to 
be  executed  by  the  halter.  Being  anx- 
ious, however, to  present  the  candid  read- 
er some  facts  concerning  the  quantity 
of  water  in  and  about  Jerusalem,  the  fol- 
lowing considerations  are  submitted: 

1   Jerusalem  was  a  city  well  watered. 


42  WATERS  IN  JERUSALEM. 

The  brook  Kedron  enters  the  outside 
boundary  of  the  city  on  the  North,  flows 
towards  the  East,  turns  toward  the  South, 
and  runs  along  the  line  of  the  city,  until 
it  unites  with  the  river  Gihon,  in  the  val- 
leyof  Hinnom.  A  branch  of  this  brook 
runs  through  the  middle  of  the  city. 
The  Gihon  runs  on  the  Western  side  of 
Jerusalem.  Within  the  environs  of  the 
city  is  found  the  river  Sorak.  North  of 
this  are  the  waters  of  Jarkon. — See  Ency. 
Rel.  Knowl.,  p.  678. 

2  It  is  said  that  Hezekiah  attempted 
to  stop  the  fountains  and  streams  outside 
of  the  city,  and  the  upper  water  course, 
in  order  that  the  King  of  Assyria  might 
not iiii d  "much  water." — 2  Chr,  xxxii: 
3.  4,  30. 

3  It  is  a  fact  attested  by  all  history, 
that  no  army  which  ever  surrounded  Je- 
rusalem, suffered  for  want  of  water. — 
Thousands  perished  with  hunger — none 
with  thirst. 

4  No  city  of  the  size  of  Jerusalem, 
would  have  been  built  in  a  place  where 
there  was  not  water  sufficient  to  im- 
merse 2  or  3,000  converts,  God  him- 
self selected  the  location.  Where  are 
modern  cities  built?  How  is  it  that 
Baptists  throughout  the  world,  find  water 
enough  to  immerse? 


tfOOLS  IX  JtfRUSALK.Yt.  43 

5  There  was  an  abundance  of  water 
within  the  city  of  Jerusalem. 

Besides  the  streams  above  mentioned 
the  pools  of  the  city  were  numerous: 

1  Bethesda  had  five  porches,  Maun-* 
drel,  a  late  traveller,  describes  its  basin 
as  being  120  yards  look.  40  broad  and 
8  deep.  Kitto's  Ency.  Bib.  Lit.,  says, 
it  was  360  feet  long,  130  broad — the 
deepest  place  being  75  feet.  See  also 
Dr.  Robinson's  Bib.  Researches,  vol.  i: 
pp.  433;  434.  Sec  Barnes'  Notes,  John 
v:  2. 

2  Solomon's  Pools — three  in  number. 
Dr.  Robinson,  who  had  no  partiality  for 
immersion,  describes  them  thus:  1st 
Pool — 582  feet  long,  207  broad;  depth 
at  the  East  end,  50  feet, — average  depth 
6  feet.  2d  Pool— 423  feet  long\  breadth 
at  the  East  end,  250,  West  end,  160 
feet.  31  Pool — 330  feet  long,  breadth 
at  the  East  end,  236  feet,  West  end,  229 
feet.  The  Bible  speaks  of  the  King's 
pool,  Neh.  ii:  14;  Old  pool,  Isa.xxii:  1 1; 
the  Lower  pool,  Tsa.  xxii:  9;  the  Upper 
pool,  2  Kings  viii:  17;  Isa.  vii:  3.  It  is 
said  that  the  Jews  would  not  allow  them 
the  use  of  these  pools.  But  God  says 
that  they  had  "favor  with  all  the  people," 
Acts  ii:  47. 


44  WATERS  IN  THE  HOLY  LAND. 

Other  pools  are  mentioned  in  the  Holy 
Land,  some  of  which  were  not  far  dis- 
tant from  Jerusalem.  The  Pool  ofSUoam 
was  in  the  valley  of  Jerusalem,  near 
the  foot  of  Mt.  Zion.  Its  Hebrew  name 
is  Shiloah,  A  flowing  stream  issued 
from  this  place,  Tsa.  viii:  6.  Jerome  also 
describes  this  stream.  Nehemiah  calls 
it  a  brook,  ii:  15.  Robinson  says  that 
its  reservoir  is  53  feet  long,  18  wide — the 
deepest  place  19  feet, — Robinson's  Pal- 
estine, vol.  i:  p.  460.  Olin,  Williams, 
Chateaubriand  also  describe  this  pool. 

Gibeon,  50  stadia  N.  W,  of  Jerusalem. 
The  great  waters  of  Gibeon  mentioned 
by  Jeremiah,  xli:  12.  This  pool  is  said 
to  be  120  feet  long— 100  feet  broad. — 
Ency.  Bib.  Lit.,  vol.  i:  p.  760. 

Hebron,  18  miles  S.  of  Jerusalem. 
There  were  two  pools  at  Hebron,  2 
Sam.  iv:  12.  The  first  measures  133 
feet  square,  the  second  85  by  55  feet — 
average  depth  7  feet,  Ency.  Bib.  Lit., 
vol.  i:  p.  835.  Josephus'  Antiq.,  xii:  8, 
6.  We  also  read  of  the  pool  of  Sama- 
ria, 1  Kings  xxii:  38.  Ofthe  waters  of 
Nephtoah,  Josh,  xv:  9. 

The  scarcity  of  water  in  the  Holy 
Land  is  urged  as  an  objection  to  the  idea 
of  immersion  in  other  instances.     The 


ie 


RIVERS    IN    PALESTINE.  45 

whole  country  is  said  to  be  dry,  no 
streams,  no  water  sufficient  to  immerse, 
&c.  Appeal  is  made  to  modern  Geo- 
graphers, but  their  works  are  not  pro- 
duced. 

Palestine  extends  from  North  to  South 
about  200  miles;  from  ftast  to  West 
about  80  miles.  It  is  bounded  on  the 
West  by  the  Mediterranean  sea.  The 
nver  Jordan,  described  on  pages  10-- 12, 
runs  through  the  interior  from  North  to 
South.  It  receives  21  tributary  stream 
from  the  country  East  of  it;  23  from  th 
uountry  West  of  it;  while  many  streams 
arise  from  the  region  of  Jordan,  and 
flow  westward  to  the  Mediterranean. — 
See  Ency.  Geo.,  vol.  ii:  p.  251. 

The  Bible  speaks  of  the  following 
rivers  and  streams,  belonging  to  the  Holy 
Land: 

Jordan,  Jabbjk,  Deut.  ii:  37;  Joshua 
xii.  2;  Anion,  Deut.  ii:  36,  Josh,  xii:  1: 
River  of  Gad,  2  Sam.  xxiv:  5.  2  Kings 
x:  33;  Kislwn — which  swept  away  an 
army — Jud.  v:  21;  Kanah,  Josh.  xvi. 
8;  Ricer  of  Egypt,  which  ran  along  the 
S.  Western  boundary  of  Canaan,  Numb. 
xxxiv:  1-6,  Josh,  xv:  4;  2  Chr.  vii:  C; 
River  of  the  Wilderness,  Am.  vi;  14: 
Sihor,  Josh,  xiii:  3,  Jer.  ii:  18;  Skikor- 


46  god's   DESCRIPTION   OF   CANAAN. 

libnatli,  Josh,  xix:  26;  Kedron,  2  Chi\ 
xv:  16,  xxx:  14,  2  Kings  xxiii:  4-6, 
2  Sam,  xv:  30,  John  xviii:  1,2;  Bcsor, 
1  Sam.  xxx:  9;  Gaash,  2  Sam.  xxiii:  30, 
1  Chr.  xi:  32;  Cherith,  1  Kings  xvii:  3,  5, 
JerueL  2  Chr.  xx:  16;  Escliol,  Numb, 
xiii:  23,  24;  Zarcd,  Numb,  xxi:  12; 
Deut.  ii:  13;  Waters  of  Mcgiddo,  JucL 
v.  19.  Hugh  Murray,  the  author  of  the 
Encyclopedia  of  Geography,  vol.  ii:  p. 
250,  gives  the  modern  names  of  18  riv- 
ers in  Palestine. 

How  literally  true  is  God's  description 
of  that  Land:  <*For  the  Lord  thy  God 
bringeth  thee  into  a  good  land;  a  land 
of  brooks  of  water,  of  fountains,  and 
depths  that  spring  out  of  valleys  and 
hills,"  Deut.  viii:  7.  Balaam  speaks  of 
their  habitations  as  'Gardens  by  the  riv- 
er's side,  as  Cedar  trees  beside  the  wa- 
ter," Numb,  xxiv:  5.  6.  What  country 
in  the  world  is  better  watered?  But  it 
must  become  dry,  a  sandy  desert,  to  sup- 
port the  cause  of  sprinkling  or  pouring. 

The  principle  places  where  Apostolic 
Churches  were  termed,  were  located  on 
rivers,  or  streams  of  water.  Samaria 
was  on  the  Cana  river;  Antioch  was  sit- 
uated on  both  sides  of  the  Orontes; 
Thessalonica,  on  the  Gulf  of  Salonichi, 


THE    WANT    OF   TIME    CONSIDERED.  47 

with  an  excellent  harbor;  Rome  on  the 
Tiber;  Philadelphia  and  Sardis,  on  the 
river  Pac tolas;  Laodecea  and  CoIIossec, 
on  the  river  Lycus;  Ephesus,  Smyrna, 
Philippi,  Corinth,  &c,  on  the  Egean  sea. 

II.  It  is  said  that  the  Sacred  Writer 
speaks  of  no  water  in  which  these 
Converts  were  baptized. — If  the  silence 
of  the  Evangelist,  respecting  streams  or 
pools  in  which  these  were  baptized,  be 
an  argument  against  their  immersion, 
may  not  his  silence  concerning  basins, 
pitchers,  or  cups,  be  an  evidence  against 
sprinkling;  and  may  not  the  silence  of 
all  the  New  Testament  writers  concern- 
ing the  baptism  of  any  infants,  be  an  ar- 
gument against  the  practice.  Where 
streams  are  mentioned,  fault  is  found; 
where  they  are  not,  an  objection  is 
raised. 

III.  The  Want  of  time. — It  is  alleged 
that  3000  could  not  be  immersed  in  one 
day. 

1  Similar  difficulties  have  been  rais- 
ed by  infidels  against  some  other  scrip- 
ture narratives,  viz:  Abraham  circum- 
cising himself  and  all  that  were  born  in 
his  house,  or  oought  with  his  money,  in 
one  day,  Gen.  xvii:  23.  He  had  318 
servants  able  to   bear  arms,    Gen.    xiy: 


48         SAME    OBJECTION    FURTHER    CONSIDERED. 

14.  Christian  writers  have  not  attempt- 
ed to  change  the  meaning  of  circtnncis- 
ion  on  tnat  account.  Solomon,  in  dedi- 
cating the  Temple,  offered  22,000  oxen, 
and  120, COO  sheep.  The  sceptic  in- 
quires. "How  could  this  he  done?" 
Watson  replies,  by  '-having  many  priests 
and  taking  time  to  do  it." 

2  The  passage  in  Acts  ii:  41,  does 
not  affirm  that  3000  were  baptized  in 
one  day. — "And  they  that  gladly  recei- 
ved his  word  were  baptized:  and  the 
same  day  there  were  added  unto  them 
about  3000  souls."  Many  of  these  may 
have  been  baptized  by  John,  and  by  the 
disciples,  previous  to  the  crucifixion. 
Surely  the  term  addfd  and  baptized  are 
not  synonymous,for  we  read  in  verse  47, 
that  the  Lord  added  to  their  number 
daily,  such  as  should  be  saved. 

3  If  the  3000  were  baptized  in  one 
day.it  is  not  easy  to  see  the  difficulty. 
The  number  together  was  about  120, 
Acts  i:  15.  Is  it  too  much  to  suppose 
that  with  the  twelve  Apostles,  the  seventy 
disciples  were  there  waiting  to  be  "en- 
dowed with  power  from  on  high?"  Thus 
making  eighty-two  qualified  administra- 
tors. Each  one  would  have  about  thir- 
ty-six persons  to  immerse,  which  could 
ue    done    in    twentv   minutes.      If    the 


lAJIK  OBJECTION  FURTHER  CONSIDERED.  49 

twelve  Apostles  were  the  sole  adminis- 
trators, each  of  them  would  have  two 
hundred  and  fifty  candidates— who  could 
be  immersed  properly  in  three  hours. 

4  If  Psedo-baptist  views  of  Apostolic 
baptism  be  correct,  the  difficulty,  if  there 
be  any,  is  vastly  increased.  They  say, 
"when  the  head  of  a  family  was  baptized, 
all  the  members  of  his  household  were 
also."  These  were  certainly  adults,  for 
they  "heard"  and  "received  the  word 
gladly."'  In  this  number  of  adults,  how 
many  parents  were  found?  If  all  the 
members  of  their  families  were  baptized 
at  the  same  time,  can  any  one  tell,  How 
many  submitted  to  the  ordinance? 

5  The  law  requiring  baptism  to  be 
administered  in  the  name  of  the  Trinity, 
had  now  been  enacted.  If  this  form 
was  not  adopted  with  each  individual 
case,  would  anti-immersionists  deem 
their  baptism  valid?  It  would  consume 
as  much  time  to  pronounce  the  ceremo- 
ny in  each  case  as  to  immerse  each  indi- 
vidual. 

6  Do  not  those  who  sprinkle  or  pour 
water  upon  the  head  of  the  candidate,  hi 
the  name  of  the  Trinity,  consume  as 
much  time  as  the  Baptists  require  to  im- 
merse?    Let  the  reader,  in  the  fear  of 

3— IB 


£0        BAPTISM  07  PAUL — THE  2tWUefl — ANASTA& 

God,  ponder  these  considerations  in  his 
heart. 

Other  instances  of  Baptism  are  record- 
ed in  the  New  Testament.  The  Eu- 
nuch went  down  into  the  water,  and 
came  up  out  of  the  water.  He  was 
travelling  between  Jerusalem  and  Gaza, 
and  had  more  than  one  stream  to  cross 
hy  the  way.  For  one  third  of  the  dis- 
tance, he  had  to  travel  along  the  river 
Sorec,  and  cross  more  than  one  of  its 
tributaries.  Any  Map  of  Canaan  that 
exhibits  its  rivers  at  all,  will  prove  this. 
The  Baptism  of  the  Apostle  Paul, 
is  recorded  in  Acts  ix:  17,  18;  xxii:  14. 

1  Paul  himself  refers  to  the  action  of 
his  own  baptism — "therefore  we  are  bu- 
lled with  him  by  baptism."  He  certainly 
knew  the  action  of  his  own  baptism, 
unless  he  was  baptized  in  infancy. 

2  He  was  then  at  Damascus,  a  eitjr 
abundantly  supplied  with  water  by  the 
river  Barrady.  Abaria  and  Pharpar  rir- 
ersof  Damascus.  2  Kings  v:  12. 

3  It  is  said  by  objectors  that  anastas, 
the  word  rendered  arise,  means  to  stand 
tip  in  a  stationary  position.  Such  is  not 
the  fact.  The  term  means  to  arise  from 
inactivity  to  action,  and  is  so  used  in  the 
Scriptures.  "Arise,  get  out  of  this 
]and;"  'arise,  go  up  into  Bethel;'  "arise. 


LYD1A  AND  THE  FII1L1PHAN  JAILOR.  51 

go  over  Jordan;"  "I  will  arise  and  go  to 
my  father."  Anisteemi  is  used  in  the 
New  Testament  111  times,  it  is  render- 
ed arise  104  times.  Candidates  for  bap- 
tism, in  those  churches  which  immerse, 
always  arise  and  even  stand  up  before1 
they  are  baptized.  If  Paul  was  require 
ed  to  stand  up  in  order  to  be  baptized, 
Psedo -baptists  awfully  disregard  apostol- 
ic precedent,  in  baptizing  those  who  are 
not  able  to  stand  up. 

Lydia  and  her  household,  whose  bap- 
tism is  recorded  in  Acts  xvi:  13-15,  was^ 
by  a  river  Side  when  Paul  spake  to  her. 

The  PhIlippian  Jailor  brought  Paul 
and  Silas  out  of  the  prison,  before  tie' 
enquired,  "Sirs,  what  must  1  do?"  Paul 
spake  the  word  of  the  Lord  to  him,  and 
to  all  that  were  in  his  house.  After  bap- 
tism, he  is  said  to  have  brought  them 
into  his  house.  Acts  xvi:  29-34.  First, 
he  took  them  out  of  prison,  ver.  30;  then 
Paul  spake  unto  him,  and  to  all  that  were 
in  his  house,  verse  32.  Then  the  jailor 
took  them  and  washed  their  stripes,  and 
was  baptized.  Lastly,  he  took  them 
into  his  house,  and  sat  meat  before 
them,  Verse  34. 

The  use  of  the  word  baptism,  when 
no  allusion  is  had  to  the  ordinance,  ha? 


52  IMMERSION  OF  CUPS?,  &C. 

been  supposed  to  be  unfavorable  lo  the" 
idea  of  immersion. 

The  baptism  of  cups,  pots,  vessels 
and  tables,  in  Mark  vii:  4. 

1  These  things  were  to  be  cleansed 
by  being  put  into  water;  Lev.  xi:  32; 
xiv:  6-8;  Numb,  xxxi:  23,  24. 

2  These  tables,  or  couches,  Were  very 
different  from  ours.  Persons  just  recov- 
ered from  the  palsy  could  take  them  up 
and  carry  them  home;  Mat.  ix:  2-6, 
Markii:  9,  John  v:  11,  12. 

3  The  term  klinai,  or  couches,  is  ap- 
plied to  the  bier  on  which  the  dead  is 
carried  to  the  grave;  Josephus'  Antiq. 
7.  1.6.  They  were  frequently  made  of 
ivory,  Amos  vi:  4;  and  used  as  settees 
are  now.  Candles  were  put  under  them, 
Mark  iv:  21,  Luke  viii:  16.  There  can 
be  no  question  but  these  were  dipped  in 
water,  as  the  law  required  it. 

The  Pharisees,  and  the  Jews,  except 
they  wash  their  hands  (nipsontai)  oft, 
eat  not,  holding  the  tradition  of  the  el- 
ders. And  when  they  come  from  mar- 
ket except  they  wash  (baptizontai)  they 
eat  not.  Mark  vii:  3.  4. 

1  Two  washings  are  mentioned — first 
df  the  hands  before  every  meal,  express- 
ed by  nipsontai.     Second,  washing  after' 


DIVERS  IMMERSIONS  53 

returning   from    market,    expressed  by 
baptizontai. 

2  There  is  an  adyance  in  the  thought. 
We  are  first  told  of  a  daily  custom  of 
washing  hands  before  eating.  When 
returning  from  market  the  cleansing  is 
more  thorough,  and  demanded  an  entire 
dipping.  On  any  other  principle,  the  sa- 
cred penman  is  guilty  of  tautology. 

3  Some  versions,  such  as  the  Syriac, 
Arabic,  Ethiopic,  and  Persic,  apply  this 
last  washing  1o  the  things  bought  in  the 
market. 

Paul  speaks  of  divers  washings  (bap- 
tismois)  in  Heb.  ix:  10. 

1  Divers  means  several,  more  than 
-one:  it  does  not  imply  disagreement. — 
Diaphoros,  the  original    word,    is   used 

our  times  in  the  New  Testament;  Rom, 
xii:  6;  Heb.  i:  4,  viii:  6,  ix:  10,  and 
is  translated  different,  more  excellent, 
and  divers. 

2  There  were  several  dippings  or  inir* 
mersions  under  the  Law.^See  Lev.  xv: 
5,  6,  7,  8,  10,  11,  13,  18,  21,  22,  27; 
xvi:  26;  xvii:  15,  16;  Numb,  xix:  7,  8, 
19. 

3  Where  Paul  speaks  of  sprinklings 
under  the  law,  he  uses  the  word  rantizor 
£nd  not  baptizo. 


54          PRACTICE  OF  THE  CHH,       THE  FATHERS. 

4  There  is  not  a  single  case  of  sprink- 
ling mere  water  recorded  in  the  Levitical 
law.  We  read  of  sprinkling  oil,  ashes, 
blood,  dust,  and  the  water  of  purifica- 
tion. The  water  of  purification  was 
the  ley  which  had  run  through  the 
ashes  of  the  red  heifer  burnt. — See 
Numb,  xix:  9,  13,  17,  18,  20;  xxxi:  23. 

5  Dr.  Macknight  renders  this  passage 
thus:  "Divers  immersions  and  ordi- 
nances concerning  the  flesh." 

THE  PRACTICE  OF  THE  CHURCH  FOR  SEVE- 
RAL CENTURIES,  FURNISHES  EVIDENCE 
IN   FAVOR    OF    IMMERSION. 

1    The  testimony  of  the  Fathers. 

Barnabas,  Paul's  companion,  says; 
"Blessed  are  they,  who,  fixing  their 
hope  on  the  cross,  have  gone  down  into 
the  water."  Again,  "We  descend  into 
the  water  .  .  .  and  come  up  out  of  it, 
bring  forth  fruit,  having  in  our  hearts 
reverential  fear,  and  hope  through  Je- 
sus."— Eyist.  Cap.  xi. 

Hermas,  whom  Paul  salutes  in  Rom. 
xvi:  14,  says;  "The  Apostles  and  teach- 
ers— preached  to  them  that  were  dead, 
and  gave  them  this  seal;  for  they  (des- 
cenderunt  in  aquam  cum  illis)  went 
down   with   them   into  the   water,  and 


TESTIMONY  OF  THE  FATHERS — CONTINUED.         55 


came  up  again." — Lib.  i;  vis.  8,  \  7; 
Lib.  iii:  Similit.  $. 

Justin  Martyr,  about  A.  D.  140,  says, 
"Then  we  bring  them  to  some  place 
where  there  is  water,  and  they  are  bap- 
tized by  the  same  way  of  baptism  by 
which  we  were  baptized;  for  they  are 
washed  in  the  water  in  the  name  of  God 
the  Father,"  &e. — Apolog.  ii:  \  79. 

Tertullian,  A.  D.  204,  says,  "The 
person  is  let  down  in  the  water,  and  with 
a  few  words  said,  is  dipped."  Again  he 
says;  "There  is  no  difference  whether 
one  is  washed  in  the  sea  or  in  a  pool, 
in  a  river  or  in  a  fountain,  in  a  lake  or 
in  a  channel;  nor  is  there  any  difference 
between  them  whom  John  dipped  in 
Jordan,  and  those  whom  Peter  dipped  m 
the  Tiber."  He  also  uses  the  words, 
"In  aqua  mergimur" — we  are  immersed 
in  the  water, — De  Baptismo,  cap.  2, 
4,7. 

Gregory  Nazianzen,  A.  D.  360,  says: 
"We  are  buried  with  Christ  by  baptism 
that  we  may  also  rise  again  with  him; 
we  descend  with  him  that  we  may  also 
be  lifted  up  with  him;  we  ascend  with 
him  that  we  may  also  be  glorified  with 
him." — Or  at.  40. 

Ambrose  A.D.  374,  says: 'Thou  saidsi, 


56  CHURCH  HISTORIANS. 

'I  do  believe,'  and  wast  immersed,  that 
is,  thou  wast  buried,"  mersisti,  hoc  est, 
sepultus  es.) — Be  Sacram.  L.  ii;  cap.  7 

Cyril,  of  Jerusalem,  A.  D.  374,  says; 
"As  he  who  is  plunged  in  the  water,  and 
baptized,  is  encompassed  by  the  water 
on  every  side;  so  they  that  are  baptized 
by  the  spirit,  are  also  wholly  covered." 
Catechis.  xvii;  §  14. 

Chrysostom,  A.  D.  39-8,  says;  "To 
be  baptized  and  plunged,  and  then  to 
emerge  or  rise  again,  is  a  symbol  of  our 
descent  into  the  grave,  and  our  ascent 
out  of  it;  and  therefore  Paul  calls  bap- 
tism a  burial." — Homil.  xl. 

2  The  testimony  of  Church  Historians. 
— These  affirm  that  baptism  was  admin- 
istered, in  the  first  centuries  of  the  Chris- 
tian era,  by  the  immersion  of  the  whole 
body  in  water. — See  Mosheinrs  Eccles. 
Hist.,  Cent,  i;  part  i;  chap.  3,  §  3;  Cent. 
ii ,  p.  ii,  chap.  4,  §  8;  Cent,  xvii,  sect.  2, 
ch.  7,  §1-  Neander's  Chh.  Hist.,  vol. 
i,  p.  310.  Venema's  Hist.  Eccles.  Secul. 
i;  §  138;  Secul.  ii,  §  100;  Secul.  iii,  $  51; 
Seoul,  iv,  §  110;  Secul.  vi,  §  251;  Secul. 
viii,  §  206;  Secul.  xii,  §  45;  Secul.  xiii, 
j   164. 

Immersion  continued  to  be  the  pre- 
vailing practice  of  the  church  for  thirteen 


SPACIOUS  BAPTISTERIES.  57 

hundred  years.  See  Stackhouse's  Hist, 
of  the  Bible,  v.  viii.  ch.  1,  pp.  1234, 
1235,  note.  D.  Whitby's  Com.  on  Mat. 
iii:  16,  Rom.  vi:  4. 

3  The  early  erection  of  spacious  bap- 
tisteries corroborates  this  testimony. — 
These  were  first  erected  in  cities,  and 
were  built  in  separate  buildings  from  the 
meeting  house.  In  the  middle  of  the 
outer  building  was  a  large  hall,  capable 
of  containing  a  great  multitude  of  peo- 
ple. Councils  were  frequently  held  in 
them.  Baronius  relates  an  anecdote  of 
a  boy  falling  into  a  baptistery  in  Rome, 
and  being  drowned.  The  most  remark- 
able baptisteries  were  those  of  Rome, 
Florence,  Ravenna,  Milan,  Pisa,  Parma, 
Constantinople,  &c,  &c.  Many  can 
be  seen  to  this  day  in  Eastern  Europe. 
See  Robinson's  Hist.  Bap.,  pp.  67-106. 
Benedict's  Hist.,  pp.  289-291. 

MISCELLANEOUS  REFLECTIONS. 

1  There  is  but  one  Baptism,  Eph.  iv: 
5. — To  speak  of  sprinkling,  pouring,, 
immersion,  &c,  as  different  modes  of 
baptism,  is  of  a  piece  with  the  Romish 
doctrine  of  transubstantiation.  To 
sprinkle,  pour,  and  immerse  convey  very 
distinct  and  separate  ideas.  All  the 
languages  of  the  earth  have  different 
3 


06      COMMISSION.     WHOLE  BODY  TO  BE  BAPTIZED. 

words  to  convey  these  ideas.  Every 
man  is  aware  of  this.  No  one  would 
say  that  he  immersed  an  object,  when 
he  had  only  sprinkled  a  few  drops  of 
water  on  it;  or,  that  he  had  sprinkled  an 
object,  when  he  had  immersed  it. 

2  When  the  commission  was  given  to 
the  disciples,  circumstances  rendered  it 
impossible  for  them  to  understand  the 
word  baj)tizo  in  a  trine  signification — to 
mean  sprinkling,  pouring,  or  immersion. 
The  word  which  designated  the  baptism 
of  Jesus  himself,  was  used  on  that  oc- 
casion. The  Lord  Jesus  had  been  bap- 
tized himself;  the  disciples  had  been, 
administering  the  ordinance,  during  his 
ministry.  Had  Jesus  submitted  to  three 
modes?  Had  the  disciples  no  uniform- 
ity in  administering  the  rite?  Those 
who  heard  Jesus  utter  the  commission, 
understood  him  to  enjoin  the  very  act  toj 
which  he  had  submitted  himself,  and 
which  act  the  disciples  had  been  admin- 
istering during  his  ministry. 

3  If  the  whole  body  is  not  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  action  of  baptism,  why  is 
not  the  part  to  which  the  water  is  to  be 
applied  specified?  The  enacting  law 
of  circumcision,  the  reputed  parent  of 
infant  baptism,  was  more  specific.   Why 


IMMERSION  ACKNOWLEDGED  BY  ALi,  59 

should  the  forehead  be  selected  and  not 
the  tongue — the  'most  unruly  member'? 

4  Why  is  the  immersion  of  a  believer 
in  water  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  &c, 
considered  an  acceptable  baptism  into 
all  the  Churches?  If  it  be  not  author- 
ized by  the  word  of  God,  why  counte- 
nance it  at  all?  If  the  Bible  enjoins  it, 
will  the  ministers  of  Pgsdo-baptistchurchp 
es  inform  us  what  passages  in  the  Sacred 
volume  teach  it?  Or  is  immersion  'good 
enough'  by  force  of  its  own  evidence? 
If  the  Bible  is  silent  on  the  subject,  how 
nas  immersion  found  its  way  into  so 
many  of  the  Confessions  of  Faith,  and 
Disciplines  of  Psedobaptist  churches, and 
into  the  writings  of  so  many  of  their 
Divines?  If  it  be  of  men,  why  adminis- 
ter it  in  the  name  of  the  Sacred  Trinity 
to  those  who  will  not  submit  to  sprinkling 
or  pouring? 

5  If  baptism,  in  the  days  of  Peter, 
was  not  the  immersion  of  the  body  in 
water,  why  should  he  caution  the  pera* 
pie  against  supposing  that  baptism  put 
away  the  filth  of  the  flesh?  Does  the 
sprinkling  of  a  few  drops  of  water  on  the 
face,  look  like  putting  away  filth?  Was 
Peter  superfluous  in,his  cautions? 

6  Let  the  unbaptized  believer  remem- 


60  SPRINKLING  MANY  NATIONS. 

ber,  that  baptism  is  immersion;  an  or- 
dinance to  be  administered  once  in  life; 
God  appointed  it;  Jesus  submitted  to  it; 
the  Holy  Spirit  sanctioned  it;  Jesus  en- 
joined it  in  the  commission;  the  apos- 
tles practiced  it;  the  possession  of  the 
Spirit  was  assigned  by  Peter  as  a  reason 
for  its  administration,  Acts  x:  47;  a  re- 
fusal to  submit  to  it,  is  to  reject  God's 
counsel,  Luke  vii:  29,  30.  Baptism  is 
the  answer  of  a  good  conscience,  and 
Jesus  loudly  calls  for  obedience,  Luke 
vi:  46,  John  xv;  14. 

7  The  advocates  of  sprinkling  usually 
refer  to  passages  where  the  rite  of  bap- 
tism is  not  mentioned — and  where  the 
word  is  not  used.  How  often  are  we 
told  that  sprinkling  babes  is  taught  in 
Isaiah  Hi:  15 — 'So  shall  he  sprinkle 
many  nations;  Kings  shall  shut  their 
mouths  at  him;  for  that  which  they  had 
not  been  told  shall  they  see,'  &c. 

1  The  prophet  speaks  of  the  suffer- 
ings of  Jesus,  and  ihe  sprinkling  of  that 
blood  which  speaketh  better  things  than 
that  of  Abel.  No  allusion  is  made  to 
baptism.  Albert  Barnes,  a  D.  D.  in  the 
Presbyterian  church,  the  author  of 
Notes  on  the  New  Testament,  and  an 
advocate   of    sprinkling,   candidly    ac- 


THE  ETHIOPIAN  Et'NCCH. 


fel 


knowledges  this  fact.  He  says  that  "this 
passage  furnishes  no  argument  for  the 
practice  of  sprinkling  in  baptism.  It 
refers  to  the  fact  of  his  purifying,  or 
cleansing  the  nations,  and  not  to  the  or- 
dinance of  christian  baptism.  Nor 
should  it  be  used  as  an  argument  in 
reference  to  the  mode  in  which  it  should 
be  administered." — Barnes''  Notes  on 
Isaiah,  vol.  iii;  p.  412. 

2  Who  sprinkles  according  to  Isaiah? 
Jesus  Christ.  He'can  do  it,  he  has  done 
it.  Has  he  ever  required  men  in  his 
name  to  sprinkle  water  on  the  foreheads 
of  his  disciples?  If  so,  let  the  warrant 
be  produced.  He  kills  and  makes  alive, 
(Deut.  xxxii:  39,)  taketh  vengeance  of 
his  adversaries,  and  creates  evil,  Isa. 
xlv:  7;  Nah.  i:  2.  He  no  where  requires 
his  servants  to  do  any  of  these  things. 

3  To  cap  the  climax  of  absurdity, 
rantizing  controversialists  say  that  fhe 
Eunuch,  was  reading  this  passage  when 
returning  from  Jerusalem!!  Acts  viii: 
26-40.  Luke  affirms  that  he  was  read- 
ing the  7th  and  8th  verses  of  the  53d 
chapter  of  Isaiah,  and  Philip  began  at 
the  same  scripture,  and  preached  unto 
him  Jesus. — Verses  32-35. 

4  The  Septuagint,  or  Greek  version, 


62         EUNUCH.      GOD  SPRINKLING  CLEAN  WATER, 

from  which  Luke  quotes  word  for  word, 
uses  the  term  thumasontai — to  astonish, 
in  Isaiah  lii:  15,  and  not  raino — to 
sprinkle.  The  verb  thaumazo  is  used 
in  the  New  Testament  46  times.  It  is 
translated  marvel  30  times,  wonder  14 
times,  to  admire  1,  having  in  admira- 
tion 1.  This  is  the  word  used  in  the 
version  which  the  Eunuch  must  have 
been  reading;  unless  it  be  supposed  that 
this  African  traveller  was  a  Hebrew. 
The  Eunuch  received  his  knowledge  of 
christian  baptism  from  Philip — a  man 
far  better  acquainted  with  the  institu- 
tion than  the  prophet  Isaiah. 

8  Another  quotes  Ezekiel  xxxvi:  25. — 
Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon 
you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean;  from  all  your 
filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idols,  will 
I  cleanse  you. 

In  King  James'  Version  as  first  pub- 
lished(which  I  have  before  me)  this  verse 
reads  thus:  "Then  will  I  powre  cleane 
water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  cleane, 
yea,  from  all  yourfilthinesse,"&c.  Who 
has  made  the  alteration?  and  this  is  only 
one  instance  out  of  thousands. 

Dr.  Adam  Clarke  explains  this  verse 
thus:  "  Then — at  the  time  of  this  great 
restoration — will  I  sprinkle  clean  water 
upon  you — the  truly  cleansing  water;  the 


EZEKIEL  XXXVI :   25.  63 

influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  typified  by 
v5ater,  whose  property  it  is  to  cleanse, 
whiten.,  purify,  refresh,  render  healthy, 
and  fruitful.  And  from  all  your  filthi- 
hess — From  every  sort  of  external  and 
internal  abomination  and  pollution.  And 
from  all  your  idols — False  gods,  false 
worship,  false  opinions,  and  false  hopes. 
Will  I  cleanse  you — entirely  separate 
you."—  Com.,  Notes  on  Ezek.  xxxvi:  25. 

1  Has  this  passage  or  its  context  any 
allusion  to  baptism? 

2  Who  performs  the  work?  Is  it  not 
God?  Where  has  he  ever  required  any 
man  to  doj  it? 

3  WHat  is  the  object  of  this  sprink- 
ling? Tc  cleanse  from  idolatry  and 
filthiness.  Is  the.  child  upon  whom  the 
water  is  sprinkled  in  the  name  of  the 
Trinity,  idolatrous  and. filthy'?  ..; 

4  Does  not  the  context  clearly  con- 
fine this  sprinkling  to  the  Jewish  nation. 
Does  not  God  promise  to  gather  them 
out  of  all  countries,  and  bring  them  into 
their  own  land?  Verse  24.  To  permit 
them  to  dwell  in  the  land  which  he  gave 
to  their  fathers,  verse  28.  To  give  them 
corn,  and  lay  no  famine  upon  the  land, 
&c,  &c,  verses  29-38.  Are  all  these  im- 
plied in  sprinkling  water  upon  infants? 


§4  tTNSCRIPTURAL  EFFICACY  OF  BAPTISM, 

9  The  views  of  the  Baptist  Church  con- 
cerning the  efficacy  of  Baptism,  are  eith- 
er ignorantly  or  wilfully  misrepresent- 
ed. The  Baptist  church  requires  each 
candidate  for  the  ordinance  to  give  a 
credible  profession  of  faith:  to  profess  a 
hope  in  the  mercy  of  God  before  baptism 
can  be  administered.  This  fact  is  known 
to  other  denominations.  Psedobaptists, 
on  the  other  hand,  run,  when  a  child  is 
sick,  to  the  clergyman  to  procure  his  im- 
portant services  to  bring  the  child  within 
the  'covenant  of  grace' — to  'engraft' 
and  'seal'  the  dying  infant  to  Christ 
Jesus. 

Pcedo-baptists  of  all  denominations 
have  attached  an  unscriptural  efficacy 
to  baptism.  The  church  of  Rome  says: 
"If  any  one  shall  say  that  baptism  is  not 
necessary  to  salvation,  let  him  be  ac- 
cursed. *  *  *  *  Baptism  opens  to 
every  one  of  Us  the  gate  of  heaven, 
which  before,  through  sin,  was'  shut." — 
Council  of  Trent,  Ses.  7,  Can.  &. 

The  Episcopal  Church,  in  the  'Direc- 
tory for  the  administration  of  the  sacra- 
ments,' prays  thus:  "We  call  upon  thee 
for  this  infant,  that  he, coming  to  thy  holy 
baptism,  may  receive  remission  of  his 
sins  by  spiritual  regeneration."  After 
baptism.the  minister  is  directed  to  pray, 


8ENERALLY  MAINTAINED  BY  P  .EDO-BAPTISTS.  65 

"We  yield  thee  hearty  thanks,  most  mer- 
ciful Father,  that  it  hath  pleased  thee  to 
regenerate  this  infant  with  thy  Holy 
Spirit." 

The  Catechism  of  the  same  church 
reads  thus — 'What  is  your  aamef  Ans. 
'N,  or  M.'  'Who  gave  you  this  name?' 
Ans.  'My  sponsors  in  baptism,  wherein 
I  was  made  a  member  of  Christ,  the 
child  of  God,  and  an  inheritor  of  the 
kingdom  of  Heaven-' 

'How  many  sacraments  hath  Christ 
ordained  in  his  church?'  Ans.  'Two 
only,  as  generally  necessary  to  salvation, 
that  is  to  say,  Baptism  and  the  Lord's 
Supper.' 

The  Lutheran  and  Dutch  Reformed 
churches  generally  adopt  the  Augsburg 
Confession  of  Faith,  which  says  that 
'By  baptism  the  grace  of  God  is  offered — 
infants  are  to  be  baptized,  who  being 
brought  to  God  by  baptism  are  received 
into  his  favor,'  See  Cox's  Life  of  Me- 
lancthon,  p  162. 

The  Presbyterian  Church  in  its  Con- 
fession of  Faith  states  that  "those  who 
profess  faith,  and  the  infants  of  one  or 
both  believing  parents,  are  to  be  baptized 
— that  grace  and  salvation  are  not  so  in? 
separately    annexed    to    baptism,   that 


66  PRESBYTERIAN  CONFESSION, 


no  person  can  be  regenerated  or  saved 
without  it,  or  that  all  that  are  baptized 
are  undoubtedly  regenerated." — Arti- 
cles iv.  and  v. 

Article  VI  states  that  the  "efficacy  of 
baptism  is  not  tied  to  that  moment  of 
time  wherein  it  is  administered;  yet  not- 
withstanding, by  the  right  use  of  this  or- 
dinance, the  grace  promised  is  not  only 
offered,  but  really  exhibited,  and  confer- 
red, by  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  such,  wheth- 
er of  age  or  infants,  as  that  graGe  be- 
longeth  unto,  according  to  the  counsel  of 
God's  own  will,  in  his  appointed  time." 

The  VI  Article  explains  the  caution 
of  IV  and  V.  The  efficacy  of  bap- 
tism is  regarded  as  such,  that  grace  is 
really  offered,  exhibited,  and  conferred, 
provided  the  child  is  one  of  the  definite 
elect  unto  life.  Or  one  of  those  'that 
grace  belongeth  unto!'  Some  of  the 
Divines  of  that  church  speak  of  the  ef- 
ficacy of  baptism  in  terms  which  can 
not  be  misunderstood.  Dr.  Timothy 
Dvvight  says:  "When  children  die  in 
infancy,  and  are  scripturally  dedicated 
to  God  in  baptism,  there  is  much  and 
very  consoling  reason  furnished  to  be- 
lieve that  they  are  accepted  beyond  the 
grave." — System  of  Theol.,  1st  Ser.  on 
Baptism, 


METHODIST  CHURCH.  67 

The  Dr.  certainly  intimates  the  proba- 
ble perdition  of  those  infants  who  have 
never  been  innoculated  with  the  Abra- 
hamic  vaciue  virus. 

Matthew  Henry  says — "That  by  bap- 
tism we  are  brought  into  the  covenant;  it 
wrests  the  keys  of  the  heart  out  of  the 
hand  of  the  strongman  armed.  In  bap- 
tism our  names  are  engraved  upon  the 
breast-plate  of  the  High  Priest.  God, 
in  that  ordinance,  seals,  confirms  and 
makes  over  to  us  all  the  benefits  of  the 
death  of  Christ." — Treaties  on  Bap, 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church. — The 
Discipline  directs  the  minister  to  ask 
God  that  "He  will  grant  unto  this  child 
that  thing  which  by  nature  he  can  not 
have,  that  he  may  be  baptized  with  water 
and  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  be  receiv- 
ed into  Christ's  Holy  Church,  and  be 
made  a  lively  member  of  the  same." — - 
N.  York  Ed.,  1829,  p.  100. 

What  is  "that  thing"?  The  next  par- 
agraph but  one  explains  it.  "O  merci- 
ful God,  grant  that  the  Old  Adam  in  this 
child  may  be  so  buried,  that  the  new 
man  may  be  raised  up  in  him." 

John  Wesley  says:  "By  baptism,  we 
who  are  by  nature  the  children  of  wrath, 
are  made   the    children  of  God.     And 


68  john  wesley's  views. 

this  regeneration  which  our  church  in  so 
many  places  ascribes  to  baptism,  is  more 
than  barely  being  admitted  into  the 
church,  '  though  commonly  connected 
therewith.  Being  grafted  into  the  body 
of  Christ's  Church,  we  are  made  the 
children  of  God  by  adoption  and  grace, 
John  iii:  5,  By  water  then  as  the  means, 
the  water  of  baptism,  we  are  regenera- 
ted and  born  again.  *  *  In  all  ages 
the  outward  baptism  is  a  means  of  the 
inward.  Herein  we  receive  a  title  to, 
and  an  earnest  of,  a  kingdom  which 
can  not  be  moved.  In  the  ordinary  way, 
there  is  no  other  way  of  entering  into  the 
church,  or  into  heaven." —  Wesley"1 s 
Works,  New  York  Ed.,  vol.  vi.  pp.  15, 
16. 

This  passage  was  written  by  Mr.  Wes- 
ley several  years  after  he  had  organized 
his  society  and  written  his  Discipline. 

Candid  reader,  with  how  much  grace 
does  fhe  charge  of  idolizing  baptism 
come  from  those  whose  views  we  have 
quoted — a  charge  preferred,  too,  against 
the  Baptists — a  people  who  refuse  to  ad- 
minister baptism  to  unconscious  babes, 
and  who  require  of  every  candidate  some 
evidence  of  regeneration  before  bap? 
tism  is  administered. 


CHAPTER    II. 


SUBJECTS    OF    BAPTISM. 

Believers  only  are  the  proper  subjects 
of  Christian  Baptism.  In  proof  of  this 
the  following  considerations  are  offered: 

I.  THE  COMMISSION  AUTHORIZES  THE  BAP- 
TISM OF  NONE  EXCEPT  SUCH  AS  EXER- 
CISE FAITH. 

This  is  a  positive  law,  expressed  in 
terms  which  need  not  be  misunderstood. 
After  enjoining  personal  attendance  to 
the  work  of  the  Ministry,  the  Saviour  re- 
quires his  disciples  to  Teach  all  Na- 
tions, Mat.  xxviii:  19,   Markxvi:  16. 

1  The  word  matheteusate — rendered 
hack,  is  used  in  three  other  places.  It 
is  translated  instruct  in  Mat.  xiii:  52:  dis- 
cipled  in  Math.xxvii:  57:  teach  in  Acts  : 
xiv:21.  The  word  is  derived  from  mathe- 
tes — a  term  used  no  less  267  times  in 
the  New  Testament,  and  is  invariably 
translated  disciple, 

A  disciple  of  Jesus  is  required  to  take 
up  his  cross,  and  follow  Christ,  Luke 
xiv:  27:  to  forsake  all,  and  continue 
in  his  word,  John,  viii:  31.     No  one  can 


70  THE    COMMISSION-. 

thus  become  a  disciple,  except  he  be  ca- 
pable of  exercising  faith. 

2  No  church  can  make  disciples  by  bap- 
tism .-J  esus  made  disciples  before  he  bap- 
tized them.  Can  infants  be  discipled  by 
a  process  which  leaves  adults  unaffected. 
Simon  Magus  was  baptized,  and  most  of 
modern  infidels  who  have  written  against 
Christianity  were  christened  in  infancy, 
but  were  never  discipled. 

3  A  limited  commission  implies  a  pro- 
hibition of  such  things  as  are  not  contained 
in  it;  and  positive  laws  imply  their  nega- 
tive.— "I  have  appointed  the  sons  of  Levi 
to  minister  in  the  service  of  the  taberna- 
cle," prohibits  the  sons  of  Benjamin, 
Judah,  &c.  When  Moses  was  required 
to  offer  a  red  heifer  in  sacrifice,  all  other 
Colors  were  prohibited  in  that  instance. 

Should  the  President  of  the  United 
States  issue  orders  to  enroll  an  army  of 
able  bodied  men,  from  18  to  45  years  of 
age,  those  of  14  or  50  years,  weak  and 
and  feeble,  would  be  clearly  prohibited. 

Were  1  to  give  an  order  for  the  pur- 
chase of  6000  maple  trees,  two  years 
old,  and  my  agent  send  me  6000  of 
one  year's  growth,  and  say  you  did  not 
forbid  these;  would  not  every  reader 
see  that  he  might  as  well  have  sent  me 


PRACTICE    OF   JESUS  AND   HIS   DISCIPLES.  7-1 


6000  hickory  trees  for  the  same  reason. 

A  deed  defines  the  owner,  but  does 
not  contain  the  names  of  all  men,  wo- 
men, and  children  in  order  to  prohibit 
their  seizing  the  same  property.  The 
commission  mentions  believers  only,  and 
necessarily  excludes  all  others.  In  or- 
der to  admit  unconscious  babes,  a  new 
commission,  confirmed  by  miracles  and 
wonders,  must  come  to  the  church 

4  The  disciples  were  acquainted  with 
the  ministry  of  Jesus,  and  his  practice 
with  reference  to  the  rite  of  baptism. — 
They  knew  that  Jesus  first  made  disci- 
ples, and  then  baptised  them.  Nothing 
less  than  a  prohibition  to  follow  his  own 
example,  would  ever  lead  them  to  sup- 
pose that  those  who  had  not  been  dis- 
cipled,  were  to  receive  the  rite  of  bap- 
tism. The  commission,  as  given  by 
both  the  evangelists,  requires  faith  before 
baptism. 

5.  But  are  not  infants  included  in  the 
expression  "all  nations?"  So  are  unbe- 
lieving Jews.  Mehommetans,  infidels  and 
idiots.  If  faith  can  be  dispensed  with 
in  on  case,  why  not  in  all  other  cases'? 

Are  unconscious  babes  included  in 
the  following  passages,  where  the  same 
expression  is  used.     "All  nations  shall 


SALVATION     OF    1NFAKTS. 

serve  him — shall  call  him  blessed" — » 
"shall  come  and  worship  before  thee" — 
"Gather  all  nations  against  Jerusalem" 
— "hated  of  all  nations" — "the  Gospel 
shall  be  preached  to  all  nations" — "suf- 
fered all  natious  to  walk  in  their  own 
ways" — "made  known  to  all  nations" — 
"all  the  nations  that  forget  God" — &c. 
&c.  Faith  is  the  result  of  the  instruc- 
tion which  the  commission  enjoins,  and 
Where  that  faith  is  wanting,  baptism 
ought  never  to  be  administered. 

6  To  darken  counsel,  the  advocates 
of  infant  baptism  say,  "If  we  infer  that  a 
person  must  actually  believe  else  he  can- 
not be  baptized,  we  must  also  infer  that 
he  must  actually  believe,  else  he  cannot 
be  saved,  hence  infants  must  be  lost." 
This  is  specious,  while  the  most  of  those 
who  urge  it,  are  fully  aware  of  its  falla- 
cy. The  Gospel  is  good  news,  but  to 
infants  it  is  no  news  at  all.  Infants  dy- 
ing in  their  infancy  are  saved  by  the 
death  of  Christ,  and  not  by  faith;  for 
faith  cometh  by  hearing!  Peedo-baptists 
understand  this  under  other  circum- 
stances. 

Dr.  N.  L.  Rice,  in  his  Debate  on  Universalism 
with  E.  M.  Pingree,  when  his  opponent  wishes  to 
know,  if  infants  Hying  in  infancy  are  not  change 


INFANTS,    HOW   SAVED.  73 

ed  in  the  Resurrection,  what  becomes  Gf  them? 
— The  Dr.  says,  'The  Scriptures  were  designed  for 
the  instruction  of  those  who  can  understand  them; 
and  therefore  they  say  but  little  concerning  in- 
fants/ —  page  97.  Again,  on  page  146,  147, 
he  says,  ''Moreover,  the  Apostle,  throughout, 
this  epistle,  and  in  the  very  chapter  before  us, 
makes  faith  essential  to  salvation.  But  the  gen- 
tleman asks  if  faith  be  necessary  to  salvation, 
what  is  to  become  of  infants  and  idiots?  I  an- 
swer: the  Gospel  was  not  designed  to  be  preached 
to  infants  and  idiots,  but  to  those  who  can  under- 
stand and  obey  it;  and  such  are  required  to  be- 
lieve the  Gospel,  if  they  desire  to  be  saved.  The 
Universalists  may,  if  they  choose,  quarrel  with 
Christ,  who  said,  'He  that  believeth  and  is  bap- 
tized shall  be  saved,  he  that  believeth  not,  shall  be 
damned.'" 

Again,  on  page  303,  Dr.  Rice  says,  "He  (Mr, 
Pingree,)  asks,  if  faith  is  necessary  to  salvation, 
f'how  can  infants,  be  saved?  I  will  cheerfully 
give  what  appears  to  me  the  correct  answer  to  this 
inquiry.  God  works  by  means,  when  means 
can  be  used;  but  when  they  can  not,  he  is  free 
to  work  without  them."  [He  gives  an  illustra- 
tion from  the  manna  in  the  wilderness,  and  con- 
tinues.] "Just  so,  in  the  nature  of  the  case, 
infants  can  not  be  saved  by  faith;  therefore,  if 
God  in  his  wisdom  calls  them  into  eternity  in  in- 
fancy, he  can  save  them  without  means."  Does 
not  this  advocate  of  infant  baptism  nobly  answer 
the  objection  raised  by  Paedo-baptists  against  oui 
views  of  the  commission.  "Truth  crushed  to 
earth  will  rise  again."  Or  does  truth,  when 
urged  against  Universalism,  become  vntrve. 
whore  infant  baptism  is  at  stake? 


4  —  a.  B. 


PRACTJCE  OT  THE  AroSTLES 

1  J.  THE  PRACTICE  OF  THE  APOSTLES 
CLEABLY  SHOWS  THAT  NONE  BUT  PRO- 
FESSED BELIEVERS  ARE  TO  BE  BAPTIZED. 

John  the  Baptist  administered  the  or- 
dinance to  no  others.  Jesus  was  about 
thirty  years  of  age  when  he  submitted  to 
the  rite. 

John  preached  the  baptism  of  repen- 
tance, Acts,  xiii:  24.  He  required  faith 
in  Christ,  Acts  xix-  3.  He  demanded 
fruits  meet  for  repentance  before  he  would 
baptize,  Mat.  iii:  7-1 1 .  Those  whom  he 
baptized  confessed  their  sins  Mark,i:  5. 
Thus  he  prepared  a  people  for  the  Lord 
Luke,  i.  16-17. 

2  Jesus  made  and  baptized  more  dis- 
ciples than  John;  John  iv:  J.  He  in- 
structed them  before  he  baptized  them. 
Psedo-baptists  strive  to  reverse  this  or- 
der. 

3  Peter,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  said, 
Hepent  and  be  baptized — not  be  baptized 
and  then  you  may  repent.  They  that 
gladly  received  his  word  were  baptized. 
Acts  ii:  38-41. 

4  Philip  preached  the  things  concern- 
ing the  kingdom  of  God,  and  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ,  to  the  Samaritans,  and 
when  they  believed,  they  were  baptized 
both  men  and  women.  Acts  viii:  12,  13. 


<f«Rl3TIAN  CHURCH  SPIRITUAL.  71 

6  The  Eunuch  said,  Here  is  water,  what 
hindereth  me  to  be  baptized.  Philip  s*id, 
if  thou  believest  with  all  thine  heart,  thou 
mayest,  Acts  viii:  8,  36.  Why  require  a 
profession  of  faith,  if  baptism  could  be 
scripturally  administered  without  such 
profession  ?  Was  Philip  a  Baptist  min- 
ister? 

6  Paul  was  a  "chosen  vessel"  when 
Ananias  baptised  him,  Acts  ix:  15-18. 

7  The  Philippian  Jailor,  Cornelius, Ly- 
dia,  Crispus,  &c  were  believers.  The 
baptism  of  several  households  &c, 
will  be  examined  under  the  head  of  P^e- 
do-baptist  Objections. 

The  same  sacred  regard  for  the  com- 
mission, characterized  the  ministry  of 
the  Apostles  every  where. 

III.    THE  SPIRITUALITY    OF    THE    CHRISTIAN 
CHURCH. 

It  is  unlike  the  Jewish  dispensation- 
political  and  religious.  The  Gospel 
church  is  spiritual;  holds  no  political  re- 
lations. 

1  Regeneration  is  necessary  in  order 
to  enter  the  kingdom  of  God,  John  iii: 
5.  Its  members  are  the  children  of  God 
by  faith  Gal.  iii:  26.  Those  who  are 
Scripturally  baptized  have  put  on  Christ, 
Repentance  is  enjoined  as  prerequisite 
to  baptism.  Acts;,  ii:  30. 


?6 


N.  T.  DESCRIPTION  OV  CHURCH  HKMBEKS 


IV.  THE  DESCRIPTION  GIVEN  OF  CHURCH 
MEMBERS  IN  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT  IS  IN- 
APPLICABLE TO   ANY  EXCEPT  BELIEVERS. 

They  are  said  to  be  not  of  the  world — 
to  have  put  on  Christ — to  be  "Saints," 
"Sons  and  daughters  ofthe  Lord  Almigh- 
ty" — "Elect  of  God,  through  belief  ofthe 
truth" — "faithful  in  Christ  Jesus,"  &c  — 
tThey  are  represented  as  soldiers,  run- 
ners, disciples,  wrestlers.,  &c.  Such 
description  is  incongruous  with  the  notion 
of  infant  membership.  Nothing  is  said 
of  this  class  of  members  in  the  epistles 
to  the  churches.  Who  can  account  fox 
this  silence  respecting  that  class  which 
compose  nearly  one  half  of  the  members 
of  Paedo-bapiist  Churches?  Not  a  word 
concerning  "God-fathers" —  "ratifying 
baptismal  vows"  baptizing  on  the  "faith 
pf  the  parents." 

V.  THE  PARTICULAR  OBJECT  OF  BAPTISM 
ADMITS  NO    INFANT  MEMBERSHIP. 

Peter  says  that  baptism  is  the  answer 
of  a  good  conscience  towards  God,  Pet. 
iii:  21.  When  did  an  unconscious  babe 
answer  a  good  conscience  towards  God 
in  baptism?  Could  the  advocates  of  in- 
fant baptism  sustain  the  custom,  which 
never  can  be  scripturally  done;  the  com- 
mission —  and    the    object    of  baptism 


BArn*M ITS  OBJECTS  AND  BK.NEF1T5.  I  t 

would  551  ill  require  every  person,  as  soon 
as  he  believes,  to  be  baptized. 

VI.  NONB  BUT  BELIEVERS  ARE  ENTITLED 
TO  BAPTISM,  OK  CAN  DERIVE  ANY  BENE- 
FIT FROM  IT. 

The  sacraments  were  institute^  *or 
their  benefit.  Faith  is  required  of  the 
baptized;  self  examination,  and  a  proper 
discerning  of  the  Lord's  body,  are  en- 
joined upon  every  communicant.  With- 
out faith  in  religious  duties,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  please  God.  What  is  not  of  faith 
is  sin.  Baptism  is  an  act  of  religious 
worship,  the  baptized  is  the  worshipper, 
and  he  that  worships  God  must  believe 
that  He  is,  and  that  He  is  a  rewarder  of 
them  that  diligently  seek  him.  Heb.  ii: 
6. 

VII.  INFANT  BAPTISM  WAS  NOT  PRACTICED 
IN  THE  CHURCHES  FOR  THE  FIRST  TWO 
HUNDRED    YEARS  AFTER    THE  APOSTLES. 

In  proof  of  this  the  following  Pcedo- 
baplist  testimony  is  produced. 

1  Church  Historians,  Venema.  — 
•'Tertullian  has  nowhere  mentioned  pae- 
do-baptism  among  the  traditions  or  cus- 
toms of  the  church  that  were  publicly 
received  and  observed.  He  dissuades 
from  baptising  infants,  and  proves  the 
delay  to  a  more  mature   age   to  be  pre- 


78  NOVELTY   OF  INFANT  BAPTISM. 

ferred.  Nothing  is  to  be  affirmed  with 
certainty  concerning  the  custom  of  the 
church  before  Tertullian,  seeing  there 
is  not  any  where  in  more  ancient  wri- 
ters, that  I  know  of,  undoubted  mention 
of  infant  baptism!"  Eccl.  Hist.  t.  iii.  s. 
2.  §108-9- 

Neander. —  'Baptism  was  adminis- 
tered at  first  only  to  adults,  as  men  were 
accustomed  to  conceive  baptism  and 
faith  as  strictly  connected.  We  have 
all  reason  for  not  deriving  infant  baptism 
from  apostolic  institution,  and  the  re- 
cognition of  it  which  followed  somewhat 
later,  as  an  apostolical  tradition,  serves 
to  confirm  this  hypothesis," — Chh.  Hist, 
vol.  1.  p.  311. 

Mosheim. — It  was  customary,  that  the 
converts  should  be  baptized  and  received 
into  the  church  by  those  under  whose 
ministry  they  had  embraced  the  chris- 
tain  doctrine. — Eccles.  Hist.  Cent.  1.  c  4. 
§  8.  Hundreds  of  other  authors  bear 
testimony  to  the  same  truth. 

2.  History  records  numerous  instances 
of  persons,  children  of  christian  parents, 
who  were  not  baptised  until  of  adult  age. 
— This  could  not  have  been  the  case, 
had  infant  baptism  been  commonly  in 
use.     Epiphanius,  the  bishop  of  Cyprus, 


bKRIVED  EROM  NO  PRECEPT  OR  EXAMPLE.         79 

was  born  A.  D.  332,  and  was  not  bap- 
tized until  the  age  of  manhood.  Con- 
stantine  the  Great,  son  of  the  zealous 
Helena,  was  baptized  in  a  river,  near  the 
close  of  his  life.  The  Emperor  Theod- 
osius  born  of  christian  parents,  was 
baptized  in  adult  age.  Ambrose,  born 
A.  D.  333,  was  chosen  bishop  of  Milan, 
before  he  was  baptized.  Chrysostom  was 
born  at  Antioch,  and  was  baptized  when 
about  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Augus- 
tine, the  son  of  the  pious  Monica,  was 
baptized  at  the  age  of  33.  Gregory 
Nazianzen,  born  in  318,  his  father  being 
a  bishop,  was  baptised  at  the  age  of 
twenty- one, 

3.  Distinguished  Pozdj-baplist  Di- 
vines acknowledge  their  inability  tojind 
any  express  precept,  or  plain  example, 
for  the  baptism  of  infants  in  the  Scrip- 
tures.— Among  these  are:  Dr.  Wall,  Hist, 
Inf.  Bap.  Intro,  pp.  1.  55; — Thomas 
Boston,  works  p.  384; — Martin  Luther, 
in  A.  It's  Van.  Inf.  Bap.  part.  2,  p.  8. — 
Mr.  Baxter,  Dis.  Right.  Sac.  pp,  149, 
151; — Bishop  Burnet  Ex.  Thirty-nine 
Articles,  Art.  27.  Many  others,  besides 
the  whole  body  of  the  Quakers,  might  be 
adduced.  No  wonder,  if  these  power- 
ful minds  were  not  able  to  find  infant  bap- 


80 


IDENTITY  OF  THE  TWO  CHUUCHES. 


tism  in  the  sacred  Scriptures,  that  those 
who  are  represented  as  "illiterate  " — 
those  who  make  the  Bible  their  standard, 
regardless  of  creeds,  and  confessions,— 
should  be  unable  to  find  this  wonderful 
catholicon  in  the  Sacred  Book. 

P^IBO-BAPTIST  ARGUMENTS  EXAMINED. 

The  advocates  of  infant  baptism,  una- 
ble to  produce  any  express  warrant,  or 
any  Apostolic  example  for  their  practice^ 
are  compelled  to  resort  to  such  argu- 
ments as  the  following: — 

1.  "  The  Jewish  and  the  Christian 
church  are  identical."  "Children  were 
members  of  the  Jewish  church,  they 
have  never  been  thrown  out."  The 
truth  is  that  the  Jewish  church  was  na- 
tional, and  hence  males  were  cir« 
cumcised  on  account  of  their  natural 
relation  to  Abraham.  They  never  at 
any  time  were  members  of  the  church  by 
faith. 

1.  Many  things  are  analagous  which 
are  not  identical.  The  Law  and  the 
gospel;  Christ  and  the  Israelites,  Christ 
and  the  Paschal  lamb;  Abraham's  literal 
and  spiritual  seed  &c,  are  analagous; 
but  not  identical.  So  with  the  Jewish 
and  Christian  church.  These  are  anala- 
gous; but  they  are  far  from  being  iden- 
tical. 


VOT10N  OF  IDENTITY  CONTINUED.  SI 

2.  Facts  recorded  in  the  Scriptures 
clearly  prove  that  these  are  not  identical. 
The  Jewish  Sabbath  was  the  Seventh 
day,  the  Christian  Sabbath  is  the  -First 
day  of  the  week.  If  a  Jew  believed  in 
Jesus,  he  was  cast  out  of  the  Synagogue; 
the  Christian  church  acknowledges  him 
as  a  disciple.  The  Jewish  church  had 
no  New  Testament,  and  now  rejects  it; 
the  Christian  church  acknowledges  its 
inspiration.  Neither  faith  nor  repen- 
tance was  required  in  order  to  be  admit- 
ted into  the  Jewish  church;  the  Christian 
church  requires  both.  The  Jewish 
church  never  received  baptism  in  the 
room  of  circumcision ;  paedo-baptist 
churches  do.  The  Jewish  church  did, 
and  does  yet,  eat  the  passover  of  bread 
and  meat;  Christians  do  not  observe  the 
institution.  The  Jewish  church  held 
traditions  more  sacred  than  the  laws  of 
Christ;  the  Christian  church  professed- 
lyreject  traditions.  Mark  vii:  8,  9.  The 
Jewish  church  denied  the  Divinity;  of 
Christ;  the  Christian  church  is  founded  on 
this  truth;  Mat.  xvi:  16,18.  The  Jewish 
church  was  set  up  by  Moses;  the  Christian 
church  by  Jesus  Christ,  Exod.  xix,  xxiv, 
chap.  Acti:  2.  Jewish  males  were  circum- 
cised; both  sexes  receive  baptism.  The 
4 


82  THE  COXDUCT  OF  THE  APOSTLEB. 

charter  of  the  Jewish  church  was  tempo- 
ry;  that  of  the  Christian  church  perpetual. 
The  Jewish  church  scandalized,  pesecu- 
ted  and  crucified  the  Lord  Jesus;  the 
Christian  church  acknowledges  him  as 
God  over  all,  Mat.  xxi  28,  xxvii22;  Luke 
iv  29.  xiii:  31.  xxii:  2;  John  v,  16.  vii:  10 
— 20  vii  42—52.  x:  20.  If  the  Jewish 
and  Christian  churches  are  identical, 
Christ  was  crucified  by  the  Christian 
church.     Who  believes  it? 

3.  The  notion  of  the  two  churches 
being  identical,  places  the  conduct  of 
the  Apostles  in  a  very  unfavorable  light, 
and  renders  many  of  the  declarations  of 
the  New  Testament  inexplicable.  What 
was  the  effort  of  the  apostles  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  when  viewed  in  this  light? 
Nothing  but  proselyting  from  one  church 
to  another  .  of  the  same  denomination. 
What  was  the  conversion  of  Paul?  A 
turning  from  one  church  to  another  of  the 
same  denomination,  leaving  one  church 
of  God  to  join  another  church  of  God!! 
If  this  identity  is  true,  our  faith,  hope, 
charity  baptism,  the  Lord's  supper  &c, 
are  all  of  Jewish  character  and  origin. 

This  notion  of  identity  contradicts  the 
Bible.  God  promised  to  make  a  new 
covenant  with  the  house  of  Israel   and 


CONSEQUENCES  OF  THIS  IDENTITY.  83 

ludah,  not  according  to  the  covenant 
made  with  the  fathers  Jer.xxxi.  31.  Heb, 
viii:  6 — 13,  And  so  distinct  and  sepa- 
rate were  these  organizations,  that  Paul 
said,  "We  have  an  altar  whereof  they  who 
serve  the  tabernacle  have  no  right  to  eat. 
Heb.  xiii:  10. 

4.  The  consequences  resulting  from 
this  notion  of  identity  are  inadmissible. 
viz:  Daniel's  prophecy  becomes  untrue 
if  the  notion  of  identity  be  correct. 
"In  the  days  of  these  kings  shall  the  God 
of  heaven  set  up  a  kingdom;"  Dan.  ii: 
44.     The   Jewish   church   had    a    High 

o 

Priest  living  among  them  —  must  the 
Christian  Church  have  a  Pope?  They 
had  their  civil  and  ecclesiastical  law  in 
one  code,  the  Sanhedrim,  governing  the 
Church  and  the  State — must  we  unite 
Churcn  and  State?  The  Jewish  church 
taxed  the  people  one-tenth  of  all  they 
had  to  support  itself;  is  that  the  order 
of  the  Christian  Church?  The  Jews 
put  men  to  death  for  not  attending  to  th$ 
things  of  religion:  Paedo-baptists  would 
not  enact  such  laws  now? 

It  is  almost  amusing  to  hear  some  per- 
sons try  to  prove  the  identity  of  the  two 
churches.  .  They  dwell  upon  analogies, 
points  of  resemblance;  redicule  the  idea 


84  ABRAIIAMIC  COVENANTS. 

that  Jesus  Christ,  while  on  earth,  set  up 
a  kingdom  of  his  own,  different  from  any- 
thing which  preceeded  it.  By  the  same 
process,  of  reasoning,  I  might  show  that 
a  mouse  is  an  elephant,  because  of  sim- 
ilarity: one  has  flesh,  blood,  bones,  skin, 
hair,  two  eyes,  two  ears,  one  head:  the 
one  eats  oats,  drinks  water;  both  are  cal- 
led brute,  beast,  creature,  animal  &c.  &c. 
— therefore  they  are  identical,  i.  e.  the 
same. 

This  notion  of  identity  has  given  the 
church  of  Rome  a  Pope,  seven  sacra- 
ments, the  bells  and  the  wax  candles,  &c. 
Wherever  the  doctrine  is  held,  results 
the  most  absurd,  unscriptural  and  alarm- 
ing generally  follow. 

Abrahamic  Covenants. 

The  next  thing  assumed  by  the  advo- 
cates of  infant  Baptism,  is  that  the  cove- 
nant of  circumcision  is  evangelical — 
the  Law  by  which  baptism  should  be  ad- 
ministered. It  is  somewhat  singular 
that  a  christian  convert,  should  be  direc- 
ted back  to  the  days  of  Abraham,  (2000 
years,  before  the  days  of  Christ) — to  as- 
Certain  the  subjects  of  christian  baptism. 
What  a  reflection  upon  the  ministry  of 
Jesus  Christ,  and  the  inspired  apostles. 
It  was  Popery  that  first  resorted  to  Jew- 


»IRST  COVENANT  WITH  ABRAHAM.  85 

ish  rites  to  learn  Christian  duties.  God 
made  no  less  than  three  covenants  with 
Abraham. 

,  1.  The^r^  is  recorded  in  Gen.  xii: 
1-5.  In  thee  all  the  families  ot  the  earth 
shall  rbe..  blessed.  Peter  calls  it  a  cov- 
enant. Acts  iii:  25. 

The  Apostle  affirms  that  this  is  the 
covenant  by  which  the  Gospel  was 
preached  unto  Abraham,  and  by  which 
the  blessings  of  Abraham  came  on  the 
Gentiles;  that  it  was  made  430  years  be- 
fore the  giving  of  the  Law.  Gal.  iii:  8, 
14,  17.  The  law  was  given  from  Mount 
Sinai,  three  months  after  the  departure 
but  of  Egypt.  Exo.  xix;  1.  The  chron- 
ology of  these  events  is  as  follows: 

The  Israelites  sojourned  in  Egypt  216 
vears.  (See  Josephus.  B.  2,  chap.  15, 
IT  2.) 

Age  of  Jacob  when  he  entered  Egypt, 
130.  Gen.  47:  9. 

From  the  birth  of  Jacob  to  the  birth 
of  Isaac,  60.  Gen.  xxv:  26. 

From  the  birth  of  Isaac  to  the  cove- 
nant of  circumcision  1.  Gen.  xvii:  1, 
xxi:  5. 

Total  to  the  covenant  of  circumcision 
406  years — minus  24  years. 

Abraham  was  99  years   old,  when  the 


86  SJtCOND  AND  THIRD  COVENANTS. 

covenant  of  circumcision  was  establish- 
ed. Gen.  xvii  1.  He  was  in  his  75th 
year  when  the  first  covenant  was  made 
with  him.  Gen.  xii:  4,  —  making  42 
years  further  back,  which  add  to  the  406 
and  the  4  30  years  are  made  out.  This 
specifies  the  covenant  by  which  the  bles- 
sings of  Abraham,  came  upon  the  hea- 
then. 

2.  The  second  is  found  in  Gen.  xv: 
7 — 18.  This  covenant  was  entered  into 
in  the  most  solemn  manner,  by  sacrifice. 
Abraham  is  led  abroad  from  his  tent, 
and  pointed  to  the  stars  of  heaven — the 
symbols  of  his  future  posterity.  He  is 
promised  the  possession  of  the  land  ot 
Canaan,  from  the  river  of  Egypt,  to  the 
Euphrates.  This  covenant  is  ratified 
by  sacrifice.  The  sacrifice  is  divided  in 
the  midst,  and  the  parties  pass  between 
the  parts  of  the  animals,  saying,  "Thus 
may  I  be  cut  asunder  if  I  break  this 
covenant."  Jer.  xxxiv:  18,  19.  Psa.  1. 
5. 

3.  The  third  covenant  is  recorded  in 
Gen  xvii:  1 — 14  when  Abraham  was 
99  years  old.  This  is  the  covenant  of 
circumcision:  so  called  by  Stephen  Acts 
vii:  8.  It  was  a  national  contract,  and 
circumcision  was  its  national  mark,     It 


SOVEXAST  OF  CIRCUMCISION,  NOT  THAT  OF  GRACE.  87 


was  not  the  covenant  of  Grace]  that  had 
already  been  announced  in  chapter  xii: 
1 — 5 — the  first  covenant  recorded. 

The  New  Testament  speaks  of  this 
plurality  of  covenants.  (See  Rom.  ix  4. 
Gal.  iv:  24.  EpH.  ii.  12.) 

The  covenant  of  circumcision  differs, 
widely  from  the  covenant  of  Grace. — ■ 
The  former  is  not  ecclesiastical  in  the 
sense  in  which  that  term  is  used  with  re- 
lation to  the  Gospel  Dispensation..  It 
was  temporal  Heb.  viii:  13;  it  was  car- 
nal and  earthly — in  its  worship,  Heb.  ix: 
10 — in  its  sacrifices  Heb.  ix:  9,  x.  4 — 
in  its  mediator,  Moses.  Gal.  iii:  19,— 
in  its  priests,  Aaron  and  his  sons.  Heb. 
vii  23 — 28, — in  its  sanctuary,  made  with 
hands,  Heb  ix:  1- — 24;  in  its  promises. 
Deut.  xxviii:  1—15.  lsa.  i:  1.9  Josh,  xxi 
43-45,  xxiii;  14-16.— in  its  subjects.-- 
They  became  heirs  of  the  covenant  by 
carnal  descent,  or  by  purchase  made 
with  silver  and  gold.  ,  It  was  a  shadow 
of  good  things  to  come;  imposed  upon 
Israel  until  the  time  of  reformation, 
Heb.  x:  1 ,  9.  The  covenant  of  grace  is 
eternal,  Heb.  xiii:  20.  Spiritual  and 
heavenly,- — in  its  worship',  Heb.  x:  19= 
23.  John  iv:  23,— in  its  sacrifice,  Christ 
Jesus.  Heb.  x:  14;  in  its  mediator ^  Heb, 


*s 


BArTISM  NOT  DtRIVED  FROM  01RCUMGISiO.\. 


xii:  24;  in  its  priest.  Heb  vii:  24-26;  in 
its  sanctuary.  Heb.  ix:  12;  in  its  promises, 
Eph.  i:  3,  Tit.  i:  2,  Heb.  viii:  6,  xi:  15; 
and  in  its  subjects,  the  spiritual  seed  of 
Abraham  by  faith,  born  not  of  blood,  nor, 
of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will 
of  man,  but  of  Gibd. 

The  covenant  of  circumcision  em- 
braced multitudes  which  had  no  interest 
in  the  covenant  of  Grace.  Korah,  Dathan 
and  Abiram  were  entitled  to  its  promises, 
as  well  as  Isaac,  Jacob,  David,  Isaiah 
and  Daniel.  Eternal  salvation  is  no 
where  based  upon  it. 

The  peculiarities  of  the  covenant  of 
circumcision  aie  the  following:  It  was 
confined  to  one  man's  family,  and  evea 
then  the  female  members  of  the  house 
were  not  included.  Geri.  xvii:  10.  Nat- 
ural connection  witH  Abraham  was  the 
ground  of  interest  in  it.  Its  blessings 
were  temporal; — numerous  posterity;  th« 
land  of  Canaan,  for  possession;  that 
kings  should  descend  in  that  line,  it 
was  conditional,  Isa.  i:  19.  Gen.  xvii: 
14;  a  covenant  in  the  flesh,  arid  not  ini 
the  spirit.  Gen.  xvii:  13. 

Those  who  make  baptism  a  substitute 
for  circumcision,  overlook  the  contrast 
presented  between  the  one  and  the  other*' 


DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN.  83 

Circumcision  was  limited  to  males.  It* 
baptism  be  its  substitute,  by  what  author- 
ity are  females  baptized?  Circumcision 
required  no  faith  nor  repentance;  by 
what  authority  did  Philip,  demand  a  con- 
fession from  the  Eunuch?  Circum^'sioa 
belonged  to  Abraham's  family — natural 
or  adopted;  how  does  baptism  belcng 
to  believers  of  all  nations?  Circumcis- 
ion was  to  be  done  on  the  8th  day,  not 
the  7th  or  9th.  Is  it  so  with  baptism? 
A  male  servant  bought  with  money, 
whether  an  atheist,  infidel  or  a  believer^ 
was  subject  to  the  rite?  Is  it  so  with 
baptism?  It  was  a  painful  and  bloody 
rite,  not  performed  on  the  face  nor  fore- 
head. It  was  adminstered  by  the  heads 
of  the  family — not  by  priests  .  The 
uncircumcised  in  Israel  were  to  be 
put  to  death.  It  required  no  faith  in  the 
parents,  nor  in  the  subjects  of  the  rite.  It 
was  performed  without  water,  and  not  in 
the  name  of  the  Trinity?  The  Jews 
who  had  been  circumcised,  were  ndt  ex- 
empt from  baptism.  Did  they  receive 
two  seals?  Strange  that  the  Council  of 
inspired  men  at  Jerusalem,  never  thought 
of  the  substitute  hypothesis.  The  law 
of  circumcision  is  either  abolished  or  is 
how  in  force.     If  abolished,  whv  desire 


90  DKSIGN  OF  CIRCUMCISION. 

to  revive  it:   if  in  force,  why  not  obey 
itl 

Circumcision  was  designed  to  prevent 
intermarriage  between  the  Israelites  and 
other  nations.  Gen.  xxxiv:  14,  Deut. 
vii:  3.  Ezra  ix  1,2.  Act.  x:  28, — to  point 
the  seed  of  Abraham  to  the  virtue  of  Je- 
sus blood,  and  the  necesity  of  regenera- 
tion. Deut.  x:  16,  Jer.  iv:  4,  Rom.  ii:  29, 
Col.  ii:  1 1, — and  to  perpetuate  their  title 
to  the  land  of  Canaan.  Gen.  17:  8. 

Circumcision  was  never  designed  to 
introduce  infants  into  the  Jewish  church. 
They  were  circumcised  because  they 
were  the  seed  of  Abraham,  or  the  equiva- 
lent of  his  money.  The  circumcised 
child  was  allowed  to  eat  the  passover; 
why  is  the  christian  child  denied  the 
Lord's  Supper,  when  it  is  known  that  he 
is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God? 

Other  objections  need  not  be  noticed, 
as  those  who  make  them  are  generally 
conscious  that  they  have  no  real  bear- 
ing upon  the  subject.  Infants  were 
brought  to  Jesus.  Did  he  baptize  any 
of  them?  Did  he  require  any  other  per- 
son to  do  it?  Children  are  said  to  be 
holy,  and  therefore  should  be  baptized. 
Surely  it  can  not  be  affirmed  that  human 
nature  is  holy  in  the  sense  God  is  said 
to  be  holy. 


BAPTISM   OF  HOUSEHOLDS. 


91 


The  baptism  of  Households  has  been 
urged  in  defence  of  the  baptism  of  in- 
fants. Cornelius  and  his  friends  heard 
Peter  preach,  received  the  Holy  Spirit, 
spake  with  tongues  and  magnified  God. 
Acts  x:  4c2-48.  Lydia  and  her  house- 
hold were  subjects  to  receive  comfort; 
Acts  xvi:  40.  Had  Lydia,  at  this  time, 
or  ever  had  a  husband?  Had  she  any 
children;  and  were  any  of  these  in  in- 
fancy when  she  heard  Paul  preach?  It 
is  improbable  that  she  had  a  husband, 
as  no  mention  is  made  of  him,  and  as 
she  had  to  engage  in  business.  It  is 
uncertain,  as  there  are  many  house- 
holds without  infants.  It  is  incredible, 
as  she  had  come  from  Thyatira,  a  jour- 
ney of  not  less  than  300  miles,  on  busi- 
ness. It  is  inconclusive,  as.  the  word 
household,  or  house,  is  used  when  the 
whole  of  the  family  is  not  included;  1 
Sam.  i:  21,  22.  The  Philippian  Jailor 
and  his  household  heard  Paul  preach; 
Acts  xvi:  32,  He  believed  in  God  with 
all  his  house;  ver.  34.  Of  Stephanas 
and  his  house  it  is  recorded  that  they 
were  the  "first  fruits"  of  the  word  of 
God  in  Achaia — they  "addicted  them- 
selves to  the  ministry  of  the  saints;" 
Acts  xvi:  15, — characteristics  inapplica- 
ble to  unconscious  babes. 


9S  KVILS  OF  INFANT  "BAFTISAf. 

EVILS     OF     INFANT      BAPTISM. 

1,  It  does  no  good  to  its  subject. — 
What  good  does  it  do?  It  constitutes 
no  obedience  to  any  Bible  requirement, 
It  confers  no  right,  nor  privileges  iipon 
the  child;  to  which  any  child  is  not  equal- 
ly invited  and  entitled.  It  furnishes  no 
security  of  the  Conversion  or  eternal 
salvation  of  its  subject.  What  good 
does  it  do?  The  Church  of  Rome  an- 
swers:— "It  forgives  sins."  The  Church 
of  England  calls  baptism  the  "laver  of 
regeneration,"  &c.  The  Church  of 
Scotland  denies  this.  One  says  "it 
seals  the  child  within  the  covenant  of 
grace."  Pray,  what  does  it  seal?  Does 
it  seal  a  blank?  Is  the  heart  regenera- 
ted? Are  sins  forgiven?  Is  not  the 
sign  put  up  before  the  store  is  furnished? 
What  did  it  seal  to  Rbsseau,  Hume, 
Gibbon,  Voltaire  and  Thomas  Paine. 
If  ihe  practice  would  become  universal, 
who  would  be  the  inmates  of  our  pris- 
ons, penitentiaries,  or  victims  for  our 
scaffolds — nominal  church  member^. 

Does  not  the  unsprinkled  infant  grow 
as  well — is  as  healthy,  lives  as  long,  be- 
comes as  dutiful  a  child,  makes  as  good  a 
citizen;  is  as  likely  to  become  a  subject 
ef  grace,  makes  as    active  a  Christian. 


ANNIHILATES  BELIKVERS'  BAPTISM.  93 

and  dies  as  happy?  Is  it  not  a  mere  en- 
gine in  the  hands  of  sects  to  facilitate  then 
own  aggrandizement.  The  church  of 
Rome  designs  it  t©  secure  all  born  with- 
in her  dominion.  Other  sects  intend, 
by  this  unhallowed  means,  to  secure  all 
within  their  jurisdiction.  Hence  we  hear 
of  baptismal  vows — the  pledges  of  pa- 
rents, &c.  If  we  can  find  no  good  in 
the  practice,  its  evils  are  legion. 

2-  It  annihilates  the  Apostolic  prac- 
tice of  baptizing  keliev.ers. — Wherever  it 
prevails,  believers'  baptism  disappears; 
its  design  is  to  baptize  all  mankind  be- 
ifore  they  know  the  difference  between 
the  right  hand  and  the  left. 

3.  It  is  an  act  of  will-worship,  the 
pillar  upon  which  Popery  is  based. — 
No  express  warrant,  or  plain  Apostolic 
precedent,  is  even  plead  in  its  behalf. 
It  is  established  upon  Apostolic  and  ec- 
clesiastical tradition — the  platform  upon 
which  stands  the  adoration  of  images 
and  relics,  the  invocation  of  saints,  the 
worship  of  the  sign  of  the  cross,  the 
sacrifice  of  the  mass,  transubstantiation, 
the  h,oly  water,  the  chrism,  prayers  for 
the  dead,  purgatory,  monastic  vows, 
etc.,  etc. 


$&  SECULARIZES  THIS  CHtfltftff. 

4.  It  secularizes  the  Church  —  and 
amalgamates  it  with  the  world.  —  As 
circumcision  extended  to  all  the  pos- 
terity of  Abraham,  baptism  is  bestowed 
by  carnal  descent.  If  the  church  is 
national,  it  consists  of  all  in  the  nation 
— men,  women  and  children.  The 
gates  of  the  church,  are  thrown  as  wide 
open  as  the  gates  of  the  world,  to  re- 
ceive into  its  bosom,  all  that  is  born  of 
women.  Such  is,  at  this  moment,  the 
unhappy  condition  of  more  than  one  na- 
tion in  Europe.  Papacy  has  been  made 
the  established  religion  of  Italy,  Spain, 
France.  &c.  Episcopacy  of  England 
and  Ireland;  while  Presbyterianism  is 
the  religion  of  Scotland.  These  claim 
the  exclusive  patronage  of  those  coun- 
tries, while  infant  baptism  becomes  the 
lever,  whence  they  derive  their  power. 
Indeed,  if  an  infant  can  be  properly 
baptized  upon  the  faith  of  the  parents, 
it  is  difficult  to  assign  a  good  reason  why 
servants  cannot  be  baptised  on  the  faith 
of  their  masters,  and  subjects  on  the 
faith  of  their  rulers,  and  so  a  nation 
be  born  in  a  day. 

5.  Infant  baptism  imposes  a  religion 
upon  its  subjects,  without  examination, 
thus  taking  away    thr    liberty  of  con sri-- 


THE  CAtSE  Of  PERSECUTION1.  M 

ence  to  choose  that  which  has  been  exam- 
ined.— It  is  Anti- American — despotism 
of  the    worst   kind.     It   fetters   reason, 
rivets  on  the    conscience   a  superstition 
of  the  worst  kind.     It  deprives  sons  and 
daughters    of  the  hallowed  pleasure  of 
following  their  Lord  and  Master,  without 
incurring  the  displeasure  of  the    priest, 
parents  or   guardians.     "Call    no  man 
Master,"  says  Jesus.     "How  can  I  help 
it,"  says  the  baptized  child,  "since  they 
have  bound  me   by  parental    oaths,  and 
baptismal   vows."     Is    it   the   Spirit   of 
God  that  adds  one  million  annually  to 
the  membership  of  the  church  of  Rome: 
One  hundred  thousand  annually  to  the 
church  of  England:  or  two  thirds  of  the 
accession  to    Psedo-bapiist  chuiches  in 
this  country?     No,  verily.     It  is  infant 
sprinkling. 

6.  Infant  baptism  has  been  the  cause 
§f  some  of  the  most  severe  persecutions 
which  Christendom  has  ever  felt. — 
Every  Psedo- baptist  is  not  a  persecutor. 
But  a  denial  of  the  right  of  infants  to 
baptism,  has  subjected  hundreds  to  fines, 
imprisonment,  the  dungeon  and  the 
stake.  This  is  so  evident,  in  the  histo- 
ry of  Christendom,  that  particulars 
need  not  be  given. 


iiCt  DECEIVES  PARENTS  .VND  CHILDREN. 

7.  Infant  baptism  deceives  both  par- 
ent and  child. — The  parent  thinks  he 
has  done  the  deed.  He  has  engrafted 
his  child  into  the  covenant,  sealed  it 
within  the  promise.  It  is  all  deception. 
The  child  is  taught  to  believe  that  a  grea+v 
act  was  done;  that  he  is  far  better  than 
the  "heathen,"  and  widely  differs  from 
the  unbaptized  child.  He  is  taught  to 
believe  that  he  was  "brought  within  the 
covenant" — "made  a  child  of  God, "had 
the  "sign  of  grace  put  upon  him."  Not 
unfrequently  he  is  told  that  where  God 
begins  to  work  he  finishes.  That  God 
is  not  like  the  artificer  or  mechanic,  who 
begins  to  work,  and  fails  to  execute 
what  he  had  blocked  out.  He  is  told 
that  he  is  a  member  of  the  church, 
but  is  not  permitted  to  approach  the 
Lord's  table,  or  enjoy  any  of  its  privil- 
eges. When  he  is  dissolute  and  scanda- 
lous in  his  life  or  conversation,  no  no- 
tice is  taken  of  him  in  the  church. — 
He  is  neither  admonished,  censured  or 
excommunicated. 

8,  Infant  baptism  is  displeasing  to 
God. — "Baptism  is  the  answer  of  a  good 
conscience  towards  God."  Pet.  iii:  21. 
The  priest  has  no    good  conscience,  as 


INFANT  BAPTISM  AGAINST   FAITH.  97 

he  acts  without  divine  authority.  The 
infant  is  totally  unconscious.  The  great 
majority  of  parents  act,  one  to  please  the 
other,  or  both  to  please  the  clergymen. 
God  cannot  smile  upon  that  which  is 
characterised  by  so  many  evil  tendencies. 

9.  Infant  baptism  militates  against  one 
of  the  principal  designs  of  the  gospel, -to 
produce  the  'obedience  of  Faith. '  Rom.  i: 
5.  xvi:  26. — "Without  faith  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  please  God;"  Heb.xi:  6.  "Whatso- 
ever is  not  of  faith  is  sin,"  Rom.  xiv:  23. 

10.  Infant  baptism  is  indirect  opposi- 
tion to  the  doctrine  of  personal  respon- 
sibility —  k  inculcates  obedience  by 
proxy — is  against  the  doctrine  of  person- 
al accountability  to  God, — If  it  be  the 
duty  of  parents  to  baptize  their  children, 
and  parents  neglect  it,  and  God  pardon 
or  punish  them  for  such  neglect;  by 
what  law  in  the  New  Testament  can 
such  children  be  baptized?  Will  God 
require  of  them  that,  for  which  he  has 
pardoned  or  punished  their  parents? 

11.  Infant  baptism  makes  a  vain  use 
of  the  name  of  the  Trinity.  It  invokes 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit  to  witness 
a  nullity;  a  seal  applied  where  the  con- 
tract is  not  written — a  sign  hoisted  where 
no  spiritual  goods  are  found. 

12.  Infant  sprinkling  had  its  origin. 

5 A.     B. 


38  SUSTAINED  ON  FALSE  PRINCIPLES. 

and  is  now  sustained  by  false  principles 
or  doctrines. — That  baptism  is  essential 
to  the  salvation  of  the  child.  It  was  intro- 
duced by  a  mis-interpretation  of  Jon.  iii: 
5.  The  first  argument  offered  for  the  prac- 
tice is  found  in  the  records  of  the  Negro 
council  at  Carthage,  about  the  year  257. 
"God  denies  grace  to  none,  Jesus  came 
not  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save 
them;  and  we  ought  to  do  all  we  can  to 
save  our  fellow  creatures,**  Did  not  the 
prophet  Elisha,  lay  upon  a  little  child, 
and  put  his  mouth  upon  his  mouth,  his 
eyes  upon  his  eyes,  and  his  hands  upon 
his  hands?  Now  the  spiritual  sense  of 
this  is,  that  infants  are  equal  with  men; 
if  you  refuse  to  baptize  them,  you  destroy 
this  equality  and  are  partial," — Learned 
council!  What  an  argument;  equal  to 
their  argument  for  infant  communion. 
Thus,  the  practice  began  in  the  most  be- 
nighted portion  of  the  world;  and  is 
sustained  by  the  same  views  to  this  day. 
Hence  the  officious  matron,  the  hurried 
priest,  and  the  excited  parents,  are  ever 
eager  by  water  to  seal  the  unconscious 
babe.  Then  the  child  receives  a  soul 
in  the  opinion  of  some,  is  regenerated 
according  to  others,  brought  "within  the 
covenant"  by  common  consent:  becomes 
fit  to     be  buried     within     consecrated 


TRODICES   WVISION6  A.ND    ABUSE  OF  SCKirTl'IlE.    D3 

ground,  and  is  sure  of  enjoying  the  bles- 
sings baptism  is  designed  to  symbolize. 
There  is  some  superstition  to  be  found 
this  side  of  Home. 

13.  Finally,  infant  sprinkling  has  pro- 
duced, endless  divisions:  It  is  a  substitu- 
tion of  something  in  lieu  of  the  real  ordi- 
nance of  baptism;  of  the  pleasure  of  each, 
for  the  will  of  Christ:  of  baptism  as  the  test 
of  a  good  conscience,  for  the  feelings  of 
the  candidate;  of  the  devices  of  men  for 
the  commandments  of  Christ.  It  has 
led  to  the  perversion,  wresting,  and  mis- 
application of  many  passages  in  the  sa- 
cred Scriptures;  the  transfer  of  the  Greek 
word  lor  the  rite  into  English,  to  hide  its 
real  import,  not  daring  to  render  it  by  a 
term  which  would  correspond  with 
sprinkling.  Scarcely  a  single  passage  is 
permitted  to  speak  its  real  intention, 
hence  it  is  easy  for  its  advocates  to  evade 
any  duty  which  ma}7  not  harmonize  with 
their  feelings.  It  introduces  confused 
notions  concerning  the  design  of  bap- 
tism, and  presents  a  formidable  obsta- 
cle in  the  way  of  consistent  prayers 
being  made  for  the  conversion  of  the 
baptised  child.  What!  Pray  for  the  con- 
version of  ''one  dedicated  to  God.  Giv- 
en to  the  church,  taken  out  of  the  De- 
vil's commons."  made   an   "heir  and  a 


100  rONC'LUDlVG  REFLKCTICttfS. 

joint  heir  with  Christ  and  an  inheritor  of 
the  Kingdom  of  heaven,"  ''sealed  with- 
in the  covenant  of  grace,"  "engrafted 
into  Christ!"  Who  can  consistently  do 
it?  li  has  lead  its  advocates,  in  many 
instances,  to  corrupt  literature,  to  alter 
lexicons,  histories,  and  ancient  manu- 
scripts; to  publish  abridgements  of  valu- 
able works,  expunging  whatever  thoughts 
or  sentiments  which  might  exert  an  un- 
happy influence  upon  their  favorite  dog- 
ma. 

Christian  Reader:  Allow  me  in  con- 
clusion, to  exhort  you  to  follow  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  It  is  necessary  for  you  to 
feel  that  you  are  a  sinner,  and  need  the 
forgiveness  of  sins,  that  you  believe  on 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  your  only  Sa- 
vior; and  obey  Jesus  in  the  ordinance  of 
Christian  baptism.  It  may  be  a  matter 
of  joy  to  you  in  a  dying  hour,  to  feel 
that  in  life  and  health,  you  were  not 
ashamed  to  follow  Jesus.  Say  not  that 
you  are  too  young — Jesus  appeared 
in  public  to  do  the  will  of  God  when 
twelve  years  of  age.  You  are  not  too 
old  to  obey  an  endearing  Jesus.  Is  the 
ordinance  a  cross  to  you.  Thank  God, 
many  have  taken  up  that  cross  with  joy. 
Jesus  passed  through  the  baptism  of  in- 
conceivable sufferings  for  you. 


CHAPTER    III 


COMMUNION. 

The  Baptist  denominanon  believes 
that  the  Lord's  Supper  is  a  social  reli- 
gious ceremony,  to  be  celebrated  by  a 
church,  in  its  church  capacity — never 
by  private  individuals,  as  such,  as  a 
personal  means  of  grace,  and  never  in- 
tended for  a  sick  room  or  a  dying  bed; 
and  that  none  are  entitled  to  partake  of 
the  supper,  except  baptized  persons. 

Nothing  is  more  common  than  to  hear 
those  who  feel  their  inability  to  support 
sprinkling  or  pouring,  bring  railing  ac- 
cusations against  the  Baptists,  on  ac- 
count of  Restricted  Communion.  They 
are  charged  with  bigotry,  unchristianiz- 
ing  other  denominations,  &c.  The 
chief  design  is  to  furnish  a  spacious  ex- 
cuse for  those  who  profess  friendship 
for  immersion,  but  who  have  never  been 
buried  with  Christ  in  baptism.  "I  be- 
lieve in  immersion,  but  i  do  not  believe 
in  close  communion,''   and  still  they  go 


lOS  FAT,9*  CHARGES  AGAINST    BAPTISTS. 

on  without  following  Jesus  as  far  as  their 
faith  will  allow  them! 

In  past  ages,  public  attention  was  di- 
rected to  the  "madmen  of  Minister," 
and  the  charge  of  rebellion  and  ana- 
baptism  was  ailed ged  againt  them. — 
Since  that,  it  has  been  shown,  that  a  vast 
majority  of  those  men  were  oppressed 
people,  writhing  under  the  galling  chains 
of  bondage,  and  driven  to  desperation 
by  tyrannical  laws;  and  were  it  admit- 
ed  that  many  Ana-baptists  were  found 
in  their  ranks,  the  Baptists  of  the  pres- 
ent age,  are  no  more  amenable  for  their 
conduct  than  the  Huguenots  of  France 
are  responsible  for  the  extravagancies  of 
Camisards;  the  Presbyterians  for  the  rav- 
ings of  Irvingism;  the  Episcopalians 
for  the  followers  of  Joanna  Southcote; 
the  Methodists  for  those  ot  Anna  Lee; 
and  the  Pccdo-baptists  for  the  Fifth  Mon- 
archy men  of  London,  who  rose  for 
King  Jesus,  and  threw  that  metropolis 
into  consternation.  But  the  conflict  is  now 
changed,  and  communion  becomes  the 
point  of  attack. 

The  doctrine  and  worship  of  the  true 
church  of  Christ  has  never  been  popular 
with  the  world.  Our  ecclesiastical  polity 
is  obnoxious  to  tyrants  as  it  leads  to  7?c- 
publicanism.  The  popular  breeze  favors 


MEANING  OF  THE  WORD  COMMUNION.  103 

the  secularising  of  the  church.  The 
pulpit  rings  with  solemn  lectures  on  chris- 
tian liberality,  humility,  brotherly  affec- 
tion, and  the  importance  of  spirituality- 
above  mere  form  in  religion;  accompa- 
nied with  no  small  share  of  detraction 
and  redicule.  The  vulgar  crowd  fol- 
low, with  coarse  epithets  and  boisterous 
denunciations.  All  these  are  directed 
against  those  whose  cardinal  principle 
is,  that  no  man  or  men  is  authorized 
to  repeal,  change  or  add  to  the  com- 
mands of  God;  but  is  bound  humbly, 
and  faithfully,  to  obey  him  in  all  things. 

1.  The  meaning  of  the  word  com- 
munion. 

The  English  word  Communion  is  de- 
rived from  the  Latin  Communis — com- 
mon. The  verb  and  its  cognates  are 
used  in  the  English  Scriptures  34  times; 
26  times  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  8 
in  the  New.  In  all  these  instances,  re- 
ference is  made  but  twice  to  the  Lord's 
Supper.  1  Cor.  x:  16.  The  Greek  word 
is  Koinonia.  from  koinoneo — to  share  in 
common.  The  verb,  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment is  translated  to  partake,  or  made  to 
partake  4  times;  to  communicate  2;  to 
distribute  1.  The  noun  is  translated 
fellowship  12  times;  communion  3  times; 
ron/ribution  1:    distribution    1.     When 


104  COMMUNION   IS  OP  TWO  KIND*. 

used  in  the  sense  of  fellowship,  it  refers 
to  our  communion  with  God,  with  the 
Saints  in  glory,  and  with  the  Saints  on 
earth. 

ii.  The  communion  of  saints  on 
earth  is  of  two  kinds. 

1.  Christian  Fellowship — This  is  the 
communion  of  the  Saints  in  preaching, 
prayer,  singing,  alms-giving,  visiting  &c. 
&c.  This  communion  is  not  incongru- 
ous with  the  firm  maintenance  of  de- 
nominational peculiarities. 

2.  Church  Felloivshiy, — This  is  em- 
ployed in  licensing  and  ordaining  minis- 
ters, choosing  deacons, receivingmem- 
bers,  administering  and  receiving  the 
Lord's  Supper,  disciplining  and  exclud- 
ing members,  settling  and  dismissing 
pastors,  &c.  No  denomination  invites 
the  members  of  other  churches  to  join 
them  in  these  church  acts.  If  the  writer 
appeared  at  a  Methodist  church  meeting, 
as  he  once  did  at  a  conference,  and  allege 
that  it  was  the  Lord  s  church  meeting — 
the  Lord's  minister  about  to  be  ordained 
— the  Lord's  servant  about  to  be  receiv- 
ed, or  the  Lord's  ambassador  about  to  be 
dismissed,  and  therefore  he  should  be 
permitted  to  vote,  he  would  soon  be  told 
that  he  was  entitled  to  no  church  fellow- 


BULK  FACTS  CONOWLNINC    COMHVMOX.        1  0"> 

ship  ill  that  denomination.  Should.he 
call  them  bigoted,  uncharitable,  or 
charge  them  with  unchristianizing  oth- 
er  denominations, — he  would  be  thought 
more  the  object  of  pity  than  censure, 
in.  Scripture  facts  concerning  the 
Lord's  Supper. 

1.  This  sacrament  icas  instituted  by 
Jesus  Christ,  and  administered  to  the 
disciples.  Mat  xxvi:  26-29.  Mark  xiv: 
22-25.  Luke  xxii:  14-21,  is  mentioned 
by  Paul  in  1.  Cor.  xi:  23-29.  Alluded 
to  in  Cor.  v:  1G-21. 

2.  It  is  to  be  administered  frequently. 
—Act  ii:  42,  xx:  7,  11. 

3.  The  qualifications  of  those  who 
partake  of  this  rite,  are  fully  described. 
They  are  required  to  examine  them- 
selves 1  Cor.  xi:  28,  31:  to  possess  new- 
ness of  heart  and  life.  1.  Cor.  v:  7,  8; 
to  be  consecrated  to  God.  1.  Cor.  x: 
21.  The  disciples  of  Jesus  are  forbid- 
den to  eat  with  unchristian  characters. 
1.  Cor.  v:  11;  are  required  to  withdraw 
from  those  who  walk  disorderly.  2, 
Thes.  iii  6;  and  to  have  no  fellowship 
with  the  unfruitful  works  of  darkness. 
Eph.  v:  11.  Those  who  partake  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  without  possessing  these 
characteristics,  are  said  to  be  guilty    of 


106  ONlTi'  OF    SENTIMENTS    NECESS.iRT. 

the  body  and  blood  of  Christ.  1  Cor.  xi: 
27:  not  prepared  io  discern  the  Lord's 
body,  ver.  29;  and  are  visited  with  judg- 
ments,   ver.  30. 

4.   Besides  the  forgoing,  other  quali- 
fications are  mentioned. 

1.  Unity  of  Sentiments. — Divisions 
and  heresies  existed  in  the  church  at 
Corinth.  Paul  said,  "For  first  of  all, 
when  ye  come  together  in  the  church,  I 
hear  that  there  be  divisions  among  you; 
and  I  partly  believe  it.'"  I.  Cor.  xi:  18. 
In  view  of  this  state  of  things,  he  says, 
"When  ye  come  together  therefore  into 
one  place,  this  is  not  to  eat  the 
lord's  supper."  ver.  20.  Divisions 
among  the  professed  disciples  of  Jesus, 
disqualify  them  to  commune  together. 
Apply  this  criterion  to  open  Communion. 
The  Presbyterian  advances  with  this  dec- 
laration;-'*God  has  fore-ordained,  what- 
soever  comes  to  pass — that  some  men 
and  angels  are  predestinated  unto  ever- 
lasting life,  and  others  fore-ordained 
to  everlasting  death."  Confession  of 
Faith,  chap,  iii:  §1,  3.  John  Wesley, 
says,  that  this  "Doctrine  tends  to  over- 
throw the  whole  Christian  revelation, 
represents  God  worse  than  the  devil; 
more    false,  more    cruel,   more  unjust." 


DIVISIONS    AMONG   THE    SECTS.  10T 

Wesley's  ser.  vol.  1.  p.  426,  §19,  p. 
488,  §26.  The  Presbyterian  brother 
says,  "They  whom  God  hath  accepted 
in  his  beloved  &c,  can  neither  totally 
nor  finally  fall  away  from  the  state  of 
grace;  but  shall  certainly  persevere 
therein  to  the  end,  and  be  eternally 
saved"  Conf.  of  Faith,  chap.  17th  §1. 
To  meet  this  the  Methodist  says,  "He 
who  is  a  child  of  grace  to  day,  may  be 
a  child  of  the  devil  to-morrow."  After  we 
have  received  the  Holy  Ghost  we  may 
depart  from  Grace  and  fall,  &c.  Meth„ 
Dis.  chap,  i:  §2.  Art  §  ii:  are  there  any 
divisions  here?  If  Paul  were  to  see  a  di- 
vided assembly  of  this  kind,  professing 
union  at  the  Lord's  table,  and  yet  in  fact 
be  divided,  and  torn  by  heresies,  and 
schisms,  how  he  would  repeat  the 
forgoing  verses.  Let  them  be  placarded 
before  the  eyes  of  mixed  communion- 
ists,  and  how  many  would  shudder  at 
this  awful  violation  of  God's  commands. 
Compare  this  unhallowed  state  of  things 
with  the  description  given  of  Apostolic 
communicants..  These  were  perfectly 
joined  together  in  the  same  mind,  speak- 
ing the  same  thing  1.  Cor.  i:  10.  Being 
one  body,  as  they  were  partakers  of  one 
bread.    1.  Cor,  x:  16.  17,     One  body  in 


1{I6         BAPTISM  MUST    ritliCEOE    COMMUNION. 

Christ,  Rom,  xii:  5.  Though  many 
members  they  were  but  one  body,  1 .  Cor. 
xii:  20.  The  church  is  compared  to  the 
body  of  Jesus — Christ  is  not  divided  Col. 
i:  24;  1.  Cor.  i:  13.  Every  Kingdom  di- 
vided against  itself  is  brought  to  nought. 
Mat  xii:  25.  Paul  directs  that  we  mark 
them  which  cause  divisions  and  offences 
contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Apostles 
and  avoid  them — not  fellowship  them  in 
the  church.  Rom.  xvi:  17.  Where,  in  all 
the  New  Testament,  will  you  find  two 
denominations  communing  together. 

2.  The  Neio  Testament  requires  that 
communicants  have  been  previously  bap- 
tized.— The  order  of  time  in  which  the 
two  ordinances  were  established,  gives 
1o  baptism  a  priority  of  claim  to  our  o- 
bedience.  The  same  priority  is  mark- 
ed in  the  Commission.  It  requires  the 
Apostles, — 1.  To  disciple; — 2.  To  Im- 
merse;— 3.  To  instruct  the  baptized  dis- 
ciples in  all  things  whatsoever  Christ 
commanded  them.  Among  the  com- 
mands we  find,  "Do  this  in  remember- 
ance  of  me."  Refuse  to  observe  this  or- 
der and  the  law  is  violated. 

Tnis  order  was  strictly  observed  by 
the  Apostles — When  the  multitude  in- 
quired, on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  "What 


THE    OKDER  OB6KRV L.D    BY  APOSTLES  109 

shall  we  do?"  Peter  said,  "Repent" — 
and  what  next?  "Come  to  the  Lord's  ta- 
ble, and  as  you  eat  the  bread  and  drink 
the  wine,  religion  will  be  formed  in  your 
hearts."  Awful!  No.  "Repent  and  be 
baptized  every  one  of  you."  When 
the  Samaritans  "believed,  they  were 
baptized  both  men  and  women."  The 
Eunuch  said,  "see,  here  is  water,  what 
hindereth  me  to  be  baptized."  The  first 
duty  after  his  conversion  was  baptism. 
The  same  is  true  of  the  Jailor,  Corne- 
lius, Lydia,  Saul  of  Tarsus,  &c. 

Not  an  instance  can  be  found  in  which 
the  Apostles  are  known  to  have  admin- 
istered the  Communion  to  those  who 
were  unbaptized.  If  there  be  one,  let  it 
be  produced. 

The  same  order  is  incidentally  taught 
in  the  Epistles.  One  instance  must 
suffice.  "There  are  three  that  bear 
witness  in  earth,  the  spirit,  (in  regenera- 
tion) and  the  water,  (in  baptism)  and  the 
blood,"  in  the  communion.  John  v:  8. 
Who  dare  reverse  this  order?  Those 
who  wish  to  be  Bible  communicants 
must  follow  Apostolic  example,  and 
not  reverse  the  order  of  God's  ordinan- 
ces. 

Indeed    Predo-baptist  Churches,  and 


HO  CONCESSIONS  OP   THE  SECTS. 

their  divines,  generally  acknowledge 
baptism  a  pre-requisite  to  Communion. 
It  can  easily  be  shown,  that  baptism  was 
considered  necessary  to  a  worthy  partici- 
pation of  the  Lord's  Supper  for  seventeen 
hundred  years.  An  examination  of  the 
Confessions  of  Faith  and  Disciplines  of 
the  different  denominations  who  prac- 
tice mixed  Communion,  will  convince 
any  candid  reader  that  they  violate  their 
own  rules  in  inviting  unbaptized  persons 
to  the  Lord's  table.  Whenever  they  do 
it,  they  exhibit  their  conviction  that 
there  is  no  sacredness  in  the  require- 
ments of  their  creeds.  The  M.  Episco- 
pal Cnurch  makes  baptism  a  pre-requis- 
ite to  membership  in  the  church:  is  the 
Communion  of  the  body  and  blood  of 
Christ,  less  important  than  the  watch- 
care  of  the  church?  Discipline  Chap,  ii: 
\\UAns.  1. 

3.  Christian  walk  and  conversation 
are  necessary  qualifications  of  those 
whd  commune. — This  must  be  evident 
to  everyone  who  will  consider  the  direc- 
tions given  concerning  the  duty  of  the 
church  towards  the  disorderly. 

1.  Paul  commands  us  to  withdraw 
from  every  brother  that  walketh  disorder- 
ly, and  who  will  not  conform  to  the  in- 


CHRISTIAN  DEPORTMENT    NECESSARY.  Ill 

structions  received  from  the  Apostles.  2 
Thes.  iii:  6.  We  believe  that  any  per- 
son or  society  who  change  the  action 
and  subjects  of  baptism,  are  guilty  of  a 
disorderly  walk;  that  a  wide  door  is 
thereby  opened  for  the  introduction  of 
manifold  evils;  a  few  of  these  we  have 
enumerated  in  the  preceding  Chapter. 
To  way  that  Paedo-baptists  are  not  sensi- 
ble that  they  inflict  these  injuries  upon  the 
Christian  church,  can  never  satisfy  our 
consciences.  As  long  as  we  believe  it, 
and  regard  their  conduct  disorderly,  we 
as  honest  men.  must  decline  to  bid  God 
speed  to  infant  membership,  and  sprink- 
ling for  baptism,  by  inter-communion 
with  their  patrons. 

2.  We  are  commanded,  as  a  church, 
to  mark  those  who  cause  divisions  and 
offences  contrary  to  the  doctrine  we- 
have  received.  Rom.  xvi:  17.  Spiinkling 
for  baptism,  and  the  substitution  of  un- 
conscious infants  for  believers,  are  con- 
trary to  the  doctrine  of  the  N.  Testament, 
and  are  at  this  moment,  the  cause  direct- 
ly or  indirectly,  of  more  than  two-thirds 
of  the  divisions  which  distract  the  Chris- 
tian world.  This  is  not  only  true  with, 
reference  to  Baptists  and  Psedo  baptists, 
but  true  with  reference  to  Psedo- baptist* 
among  themselves. 


llsi  various  ways  ov  srisKLixe  and  POU1UN3. 


1.  They  are  divided  as  to  the  manner, 
the  place  of  administering  the  ordinance, 
&c.  The  council  of  Trent  recommends 
the  head  because  it  is  the  seat  of  sensa- 
tion.      Others    confine    the    rite  to   the 

Jace,  because  it  is  always  naked.  Dey- 
lingius  says  the  water  should  be  applied 
to  the  head  the  forehead,  or  the  breast, 
once  or  thrice.  Sprinkling  has  no  other 
bounds  than  the  caprice  and  fancies  of 
men  are  pleased  to  fix;  one  dips  the 
head  three  times;  the  second  pours  wa- 
ter on  the  face;  the  third  selects  the 
back  of  the  head;  the  fourth  pours  water 
three  times  in  the  form  of  a  cross  on  the 
forehead;  the  fifth  applies  the  water  with 
a  sponge;  the  sixth  baptizes  his  finger  in 
water  and  touches  some  part  of  the  head 
with  the  finger.  John  Calvin  recom- 
mends copious  pouring.  Each  one  per- 
forms the  rite  according  to  his  inclinations 
and  whims:  and  one  feels  that  he  is  as 
near  right  as  the  other,  for  where  there 
is  no  law  there  is  no  transgression.  Thus 
baptism  is  called  a  "mere  ceremony." 
True!  as  generally  administered  it  de- 
serves no  better  name. 

2.  Nor  are  these  divisions  among 
Pajdo-baptists  confined  to  the  action  of 
the  ordinance,  they  are  equally  as  much 


DIFFERENT    VIEWS    OF  THE  DESIGN  OF    BAPTISM.    113 


divided  concerning  the  design  of  its  ad- 
ministration to  infants.  One  child  is 
baptised  to  bring  him  into  the  coveiant; 
another  because  he  is  already  holy--the 
child  of  a  believing  parent.  One  is  bap- 
tized to  bring  him  within  the  "pales  of 
the  church;"  another,  because,  by  car- 
nal descent,  he  is  entitled  to  church  or- 
dinances. One  is  baptized  on  the  faith 
of  the  parents;  the  other,  because  Je- 
sus, said,  "Suffer  little  children  to  come 
unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not."  One  is 
in  the  covenant  entitled  to  its  blessings; 
the  other  is  brought  into  it  by  baptism. 
One  is  baptised  for  the  pardon  of  sins; 
the  other  because  Paul  said  "they  are 
holy,"  1  Cor.  vii:  14.  One  is  thus  trans- 
formed from  the  'Devil's  Common, ' 
while  another  is  baptized  because  Abra- 
ham circumcised  all  the  males  of  hi3 
household.  John  Wesley  urged  it  upon 
the  ground  that  "If  children  are  guilt)'' 
of  original  sin,  it  must  be  washed  away 
in  the  water  of  baptism."  Obediah  Wills 
urges  it  because  "Baptism  is  God's 
Sheep-mark  by  which  he  distinguishes 
those  of  his  fold,  from  such  as  graze  in 
the  wild  common  of  the  world."  Mr. 
Burkitt  calls  it  "Chrisfs  ear -mark,  by 
which    he  distinguishes   his  sheep    from 


114  F  .EDO-BAPTISTS  SET  UP  THE  BAR. 

the  Devil's  goats."  Scarcely  two  Pcedo- 
baptist  denominations  will  agree  as  to 
the  real  design  of  the  ceremony. 

3.  The  divisions  which  exist  between 
Baptists  and  Psedo  -baptists  are  principal- 
ly owing  to  that  which  the  latter  esteem  as 
a  mere  ceremony.  Believer's  baptism  is 
acknowledged  to  be  scriptural  by  those 
who  oppose  us.  The  validity  of  immer- 
sion is  not  doubted.  Pa3do-baptists  can 
abandon  their  infant  membership,  their 
sprinkling  ceremony  without  sacrificing 
a  single  conscientious  principle.  That 
this  is  true,  must  be  evident  from  their 
practice.  They  sometimes  sprinkle  a- 
dults,  and  even  administer  immersion  in 
the  name  of  the  Trinity.  It  is  presumed 
that  in  these  acts  no  violence  is  done  to 
their  consciences.  The  Baptists  on 
the  other  hand,  believe  sprinkling  for 
baptism  a  violation  of  the  law  of  Christ, 
and  fraught  with  many  evils:  they  re- 
gard the  substitution  of  infants  for  believ- 
ers a  fearful  departure  from  the  teach- 
ings of  the  New  Testament.  Predo-bap- 
tists  set  up  the  "bar,"  and  charitably 
credit  the  Baptists  for  erecting  the  wall 
of  partition.  For  us  to  inter-commune 
with  those  whom  we  consider  unbap- 
tized:  those  who  refuse  to   observe    the 


BAFTI&TS  CANNOT  FAVOR  OrF.N  COMMUNION    115 

ordinances  as  they  were  delivered  unto 
us,  would  be  to  sacrifice  our  conscientious 
views  respecting  the  doctrines  and  prin- 
ciples of  the  New  Testament.  One  of 
the  leading  objects  of  those  who  urge  it, 
is  that  thereby  we  might  express  our  fel- 
lowship for  sprinkling  and  infant  member- 
ship. As  a  Baptist  and  a  christian  respon- 
sible to  God,  1  dare  not  do  it.  Much  as  I 
desire  the  approbation  of  others,  I  dare 
not  obtain  it  at  so  fearful  a  sacrifice.  I 
would  rather  be  called  a  "bigot  and  a 
zealot,"  all  my  life. 

Psedo-baptists  believe  the  Baptists  to 
have  been  scripturally  baptized,  hence 
they  may  be  willing  to  commune  with 
them.  The  Baptist  is  unable  to  recipro- 
cate here.  He  believes  that  the y  are  not 
baptized,  and  though  they  possess  piety, 
the  Baptist  can  not  commune  with  them, 
as  he  deems  baptism  a  prerequisite  to 
communion — and  that  the  ordinance  is 
a  church  act,  never  to  be  administered 
where  there  are  divisions  and  schisms. 

Nor  can  we  consistently  extend  church 
fellowship  to  those  who  practice  inter- 
communion with  unbaptized  persons. — 
Where  Jesus  has  given  an  express  rule, 
we  can  not  fellowship  the  offender.  A 
moments  reflection   is   sufficient  to  con- 


116  OBJECTIONS  TO  MIXED    COM.HCXION  . 

vincft  any  one,  that  what  he  dares  not  do, 
because  of  his  conscience,  he  is  equally 
bound  not  to  sanction  in  others.  The 
most  efficient  way  to  teach  men  to  re- 
vere the  commandments  of  God,  is  to  re- 
vere them' ourselves. 

OBJECTIONS  TO  MIXED  COMMUNION. 

1.  Mixed  Communion  has  no  tendency 
to  increase  Brotherly  Love. — Notwith- 
standing a  few  Paedo  baptist  churches 
have  practiced  it  forvears.  there  is  not  at 
this  day  any  more  brotherly  love  among 
these  sects  than  exists  between  any  of 
them  and  the  Baptists.  Is  there  any 
more  Christian  affection  between  Meth- 
odists and  Presbyterians  than  exists  be- 
tween either  or  both  of  these  sects  and 
the  Baptists?  Facts  answer,  No.  Take 
any  other  denomination  and  the  same 
conclusion  will  follow. 

2.  Mixed  Communion  has  no  tendency- 
to  bring  the  different,  denominations  to  a 
greater  harmony  of  sentiments. — The 
ground  of  separation,  between  the  va- 
rious sects,  lies  farther  back;  it  lies  in  a 
difference  of  sentiments  concerning  the 
doctrine,  duties,  and  privileges  of  reli- 
gion. Inter-communion  among  floating 
members,  can  never  remove  that  which 
the  '-Watchman  of  Zion"  can   not  do. 


COMfELS  OOJiMUMON   WITH  THOSK    EXPELLED.  Ill" 

The  Presbyterian  is  a  Presbyterian  still, 
the  Methodist  a  Methodist  still,  and  so; 
on,  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

3  Mixed  Com  mini  inn  compels  a  church 
to  commune  with  its  ex-communicated 
members.  —  A  person  guiliy  of  what 
is  deemed  disorderly  conduct  is  expell- 
ed. He  gues  and  unites  with  another 
church,  without  repentance,  confession, 
or  reparation.  He  is  received.  On  the  fol- 
lowing sabbath  he  returns  to  the  Church 
which  excluded  him,  sits  down  at  the 
Table,  and  exhibits  the  glories  of  mix- 
ed communion.  Thus  the  power  of  the 
church,  over  her  own  affairs,  is  set  at  defi- 
ance. In  a  church  of  this  description,  not 
long  since,  was  a  member  who  slandered 
the  character  of  the  Pastor's  wife.  He 
was  tried,  and  expelled.  In  a  few  days 
he  applied  for  membership  in  another  de- 
nomination, and  on  account  of  his  wealth 
he  was  received.  He  attended  the  Com- 
munion season  of  the  church  from  which 
he  had  been  justly  expelled,  and  the  usu- 
al invitation  was  extended.  When  he 
saw  his  slandered  victim,  advance  to  the 
Table,  he  arose  and  accompanied  her. 
She  was  paralyzed  and  declined  to  par- 
take of  the  sacred  emblems.  He  par- 
took with  all  boldness.     The  church  was 


IIS  MIXED  COMMUNION  INCO.N8IBTK.Ni'. 

thrown  into  a  state  of  ebulition,  while 
one  man  exhibited  the  legitimate  fruits  of 
Open  Communion. 

4.  Mixed  Communion  compels  a  church 
to  commune  with  those  who  are  guilty  of 
offences  for  which  she  would  exclude  her 
own  members. — Suppose  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  is  excluded 
for  dancing,  attending  balls,  or  visiting 
circuses.  When  the  invitation  for  com- 
munion is  extended,  a  young  lady  of 
another  fashionable  church,  and  with 
whom  the  excluded  member  had  often 
danced,  &c,  seats  herself  at  the  table — 
she  is  guilty  of  the  same  crime  for  which 
the  other  had  been  expelled,  but  she 
avails  herself  ol  the  peculiar  privileges 
of  open  Communion. 

5.  Mixed  Communion  compels  chur- 
ches and  denominations  to  act  inconsist- 
ently.— The  M.  E.  church,  in  her  Dis- 
cipline, Part  1.  chap,  viii  §2  Quest.  4. 
asks  the  following.  ''What  shall  be 
done  with  those  ministers  or  preachers 
who  held  and  disseminate,  publicly  or 
privately,  doctrines  which  are  contrary 
to  our  articles  of  religion?"  The  an- 
swer is,  "Let  the  same  process  be  ob- 
served as  in  case  of  gross  immorality," 
expulsion.     And  yet  a  Baptist  or  a  Pres- 


IT  13    C.NNECESSAIIY.  119 

byterian  minister. may  do  all  this  and  for 
his  fidelity  be  invited  to  commune  with 
the  .Methodists.  The  provision  made  by 
the  same  church  for  a  private  member 
is  found  in  the  Discipline, Part,  1.  ch.  8. 
§4;  Ans.  3.  "If  a  member  of  our  church 
be  clearly  convicted  of  endeavoring  to 
sow  dissensions  in  any  of  our  societies, 
by  inveighing  against  either  our  doc- 
trine or  discipline  *  *  *  he  shall  be  ex- 
pelled from  the  church."  Baptists,  Lu- 
therans, Presbyterians  or  Episcopalians, 
may  inveigh  as  much  as  they  are  dis- 
posed, and  when  the  expelled  Meth- 
odist stands  back,  they  may  advance, 
and  the  Bishop  or  Elder,  as  if  consci- 
ous that  no  crime  has  been  committed, 
gives  them  the  sacred  symbols.  If 
space  permitted,  we  might  exhibit  the 
inconsistencies  of  some  other  denomina- 
tions in  the  same  manner. 

6.  Mixed  Communion  is  unnecessary. 
— Each  denomination  has  its  own  reg- 
ulations, and  may  commune  in  unity,  as 
often  as  it  thinks  proper.  It  is  but  sel- 
dom that  any  of  those  who  plead  for 
open  Communion;  have  ever  communed 
out  of  their  own  denomination.  They 
generally  plead  for  a  privilege  which  they 
never  really  wish  to  enjoy. 


120  DIFFICULT  TO  EXTEND    COMMUNION. 

If  any  worthy  member  be  located  in  a 
region  where  there  is  no  church  of  his 
own  denomination,  and  wishes  to  com- 
mune with  another  church,  why  not  join 
it?  If  his  conscience  will  not  permit 
him  to  join  that  church,  where  is  his 
conscience  when  he  communes  with  it, 

7.  If  the  communion  is  extended  be- 
yond the  churchy  or  the  denomination,  is 
it  not  difficult  to  find  a  stopping  place? 
— There  are  many  denominations,  and 
each  has  more  or  less  truth  in  its  creed, 
and  some  good  men  among  its  members. 
To  open  the  door  for  all,  would  be  to 
open  the  gates  of  the  church  to  every 
error  and  schism;  to  invite  a  part  and 
not  the  whole  is  to  assume  a  prerogative 
too  high  for  fallible  men,  and  to  exclude 
some  whom  Christ  loves.  It  is  sufficient 
for  common  men  to  decide  the  ortho- 
doxy of  those  who  have  voluntarily  put 
themselves  under  their  watch-care. 

8.  Real  Close  Communion  is  to  be 
found  in  Pcedo -baptist  churches. — Those 
churches  that  immerse  christian  con- 
verts, and  reject  infant  baptism,  commune 
with  those  whom  they  baptize,  and  receive 
into  membership,  unless  they  have  been 
expelled.  Paedo-baptists,  baptize  in- 
fants, and  count  them  members;  but  de- 


MIXED  COMMUNION   UNNECESSARY.       121 

ny  them  the  privilege  of  approaching  the 
Lord's  table.  They  "bring  them  within 
the  Covenant"  by  baptism; — make  them 
"members  of  the  church;"  "engraft  them 
into  Christ;"  and  though  they  are  fit 
for  the  kingdom  of  Heaven,  they  are 
not  fit  for  the  Pasdo-baptist  Communion 
table.  Surely,  this  is  close  Communion 
to  which  Baptist  churches  are  strangers. 

9.  Mixed  Communion  needlessly  ex- 
poses Christianity  to  the  scorn  and  redi- 
cule  of  the  world. — those  who  inter- 
commune  profess  union;  while  no  such 
union  really  exists  between  them.  They 
profess  fellowship,  when  it  is  known  to 
the  parties  that  they  possess  no  church, 
fellowship  for  one  another.  To-day 
they  surround  the  Lord's  table,  to-mor- 
row make  arrangements  for  litigation 
before  men  of  the  world.  Christianity 
weeps  at  these  outrages,  and  Christ  is 
wounded  in  the  house  of  his  friends. 

10  Mixed  Communion  is  a  violation 
of  the  Creeds,  Confessions,  and  regula- 
tions of  the  denominations  who  practice 
it. — The  truth  of  this  item  may  be  as- 
certained by  examining  the  different 
Creeds  and  Confessions.  Let  us  conv 
mence  with  the 

6—8. 


122  methodist  discipline. 

1   Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

The  Discipline  of  that  church,  Chapt. 
i:  sect.  22,  Ans.  2,  says: — "Let  no  per- 
son that  is  not  a  member  of  our  church 
be  admitted  to  our  communion,  without 
examination,  and  some  token  given  by 
an  elder  or  deacon."  What  is  meant 
by  a  "token"?  Dr.  N.  Bangs  of  that 
church  answers  thus:  "A  ticket  or  cer- 
tificate given  to  such  persons,  signify- 
ingthat  he  or  she  is  considered  worthy." 
Turn  to  the  Discipline,  chapter  2,  sec.  6, 
ans.  4,  where  the  elder  is  directed  thus: 
"Give  no  tickets  to  any  that  wear  high 
heads,  enormous  bonnets,  ruffles  or 
rings."  (Part  i,  chap.  7,  Sec.  i,  ans.  4, 
of  the  Revised  Edition  of  1850.)  In 
Part  i,  chapt.  4,  sec.  11,  the  Preacher  is 
addressed  thus:  "And  remember! — a 
Methodist  preacher  is  to  mind  every  point, 
great  and  small,  in  the  Methodist  Dis- 
cipline."— Old  Edition,  ch.  i,  \  8,  ques. 
3,  ans.  11. 

Apply  for  Communion  on  the  forego- 
ing principles,  and  the  Elder  or  Deacon 
finds  that  you  are  not  dressed  according 
to  the  Discipline,  and  though  you  may 
be  orthodox,  and  have  been  baptized, 
and  considered  fit  for  the  kingdom  of 


EXPULSION.  123 

heaven,  the  Discipline  denies  you  ad- 
mittance.* 

The  provisions  of  Part  ii,  chap.  2.  §  1, 
are  still  retained:  "No  person  shall  be 
admitted  to  the  Lord's  table  among  us 
who  is  guilty  of  any  practice  for  which 
we  would  exclude  a  member  of  our 
church."— Old  Ed.  chap,  i,  sec.  22, 
ans.  3. 

Now,  as  this  section  excludes  every 
one  who  is  guilty  of  any  practice  for 
which  a  Methodist  would  be  expelled, 
let  us  examine  some  of  the  crimes  for 
which  that  church  will  excommunicate 
its  own  members. 

1  For  non-attendance  upon  Class^ 
Meetings. — Discipline,  N.  Ed.,  Part  i? 
chap.  5,  ^  3.  quest.  4.  Old  Ed.,  chap. 
2,  sec.  2,  quest,  5,  ans.  1,  2. 

*The  Methodist  rulers,  since  the  publication 
of  Rev.  S.  Remington's  work,  in  Defence  of  Re- 
stricted Communion,  have  expunged  the  first  of 
the  above  quotations  from  the  Discipline,and  have 
changed  the  order  of  Chapters  and  Sections. — 
What  was  the  object  of  this  change?  Let  the 
reader  judge.  These  alterations  are  made  with- 
out notifying  the  reader  of  an  isolated  change. 
On  the  other  hand, he  is  told  that  "our Discipline 
haa  been  founded  on  the  experience  of  a  long 
•eries  of  years." 

We  shall  hereafter  refer  to  Chapters  and  Sec- 
tion* in  the  Old  and  New  Edition*. 


124  pprENCM. 

2  For  inveighing  against  the  doc- 
trines or  Discipline  of  the  church.-P.  ii, 
chapt.  3,  see.  2,  quest.  4;  chapt.  8,  sec. 
4,  quest.  1,  ans.  3,  Old.  Ed.,  chapt.  1, 
sec.  !8.  quest.  3;  chapt.  2,  sec.  7.  ans.  3. 

For  wearing  enormous  bonnets,  ruf- 
fles, rings;  or  carrying  a  high  head,  or 
inveighing  against  the  doctrine  or  Dis- 
cipline, the  Methodist  member  shall 
have  4,no  privileges  of  Society  or  of 
Sacraments  in  our  church,  without  con- 
trition, confession,  and  proper  trial." 
Chapt.  8,  sec.  4,  ans.  5.  Old  Ed.,  ch* 
2,  sec.  7,  ans.  5. 

Shall  the  Baptist  or  Presbyterian  wear 
enormous  bonnets,  costly  rings;  carry 
their  heads  the  highest  part  of  their 
bodies;  inveigh  against  both  doctrines 
and  Discipline  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church,  and  still  be  invited  to  the 
"privileges  of  Society  and  Sacraments, " 
in  that  body,  while  its  own  members  are 
expelled  for  a  simple  neglect  of  not  at- 
tending an  unscriptural  Class-Meeting? 
Another  proof  of  the  consistency  of 
mixed  communion.  The  Discipline 
above  quoted,  forbids  any  Baptist  to 
commune  with  the  M.  E.  church;  and 
when  they  are  invited,  another  evidence 
is  given,  that  the  Ministers  of  that  body 


&HSCOPALTANS    AND  PRESBYTERIANS      125 

will  discard   the  Bible   and  their  Creed 
for  the  sake  of  Open  Communion. 

2  The  EpIscopal  Church  holds  that 
the  Ministers  of  other  Denominations 
have  not  been  scripturally  called  and  sot 
apart  to  the  work  of  the  Ministry,  tlence 
they  are  not  qualified  to  administer  the 
ordinances  of  religion.  The  rule  of  this 
church  respecting  communion,  denies 
admission  to  any.  except  its  own  mem- 
bers. Its  Confession  of  Faith  says: 
"And  there  shall  none  be  admitted  to  the 
Holy  Communion  until  such  time  as  he 
be  confirmed,  (by  one  of  the  Bishops,) 
or  he  be  ready  and  desirous  to  be  con- 
firmed."—  Bjok  of  Common  Prayer, 
Art.  Confirmation.  By  this  rule  all  de- 
nominations are  excluded,  except  the 
Catholics,  as  no  others  desire,  practice 
or  believe  in  confirmation. 

3  The  Presbyterian  Church  declares 
that  every  "christian  church,  or  union, 
or  association  of  particular  churches,  is 
entitled  to  declare  the  terms  of  admis- 
sion into  its  communion,  and  the  quali- 
fications of  its  ministers  and  members. 
If  they  err  in  making  the  terms  of  com- 
munion, either  too  iax  or  too  narrow, 
yet  even  in  this  case,  they  do  not  infringe 
upon  the  liberty  or  the    rights  of  others. 


126  PRESBYTER1AN1SM. 

but  only  make  an  improper  use  of  their 
own." — Form  of  Government,  B.  i,  C.  1, 
sec.  2.  On  these  principles,  a  Presby- 
terian Synod  declared  it  inexpedient  to 
intercommune  with  those  denomina- 
tions who  hold  Arminian  sentiments. — 
See  Union  Evangelist  and  Presbyterian 
Advocate,  1820,  vol.  ii,  pp.  96-99.  The 
General  Assembly,  in  1839,  fully  sus- 
tained the  foregoing  decision.  Thus, 
the  Methodists,  the  New  School  Presby- 
terians, the  Cumberlands,  and  many  of 
the  Congregationalists,  were  cui:  off  with 
one  stroke.  Many  of  these  possessed 
equal  piety  with  Presbyterians,  and  were 
doubtless  fit  for  the  kingdom  of.  heaven; 
but  they  were  denied  admission  to  the 
Lord's  table  in  that  church,  not  because 
they  were  considered  unbaptized,  but 
perchance,  they  held  views  which  Armi- 
nius  avowed  before  them. 

Their  Confession  of  Faith  and  their 
Catechism  declare  the  children  of  one  or 
both  believing  parents,  to  be  proper  sub- 
jects for  baptism;  that  the  church  consists 
of  those  who  profess  religion,  and  their 
children;  that  all  baptized  persons  are 
members  and  bound  to  perform  all  the 
duties  of  membership.  Con.  of  Faith 
eh.  28.  54.  Large  Cat.  2.  166.  Do.  Quest. 


PRESBYTERIAN   WRITERS.  127 

62.  Discipline,  Book  2.  §6.  Notwith- 
standing these  declarations,  infants  in 
membership  amounting  to  nearly  two- 
thirds  of  the  whole,  are  kept  from  the 
Lord's  table,  though  they  are  consider- 
ed fit  for  baptism;  fit  to  be  brought  with- 
in the  covenant,  and  fit  for  the  kingdom 
of  heaven.     This    is  cruel. 

Presbyterian  writers  bear  the  most  un- 
quivocal  testimony  that  baptism  should 
precede  Communion. 

Dr.  Doddridge  says,  -'As  far  as  our 
knowledge  of  primitive  antiquity  extends, 
no  unbaptized  person  received  the 
Lord's  Supper."     Lectures;  p.  510. 

Dr.  Dwight  says  that  every  communi- 
cant "should  have  made  a  public  profes- 
sion of  religion;  and  that  he  should  have 
been  baptized.*'  Syst.  Theol.  Serm.  160. 
Richard  Baxter  says,  "What  man  dare 
go  in  a  way  which  hath  neither  precept 
or  example  to  warrant  it,  from  a  way  that 
hath  a  full  current  of  both?  yet,  they  that 
will  admit  members  into  the  visible 
church  without  baptism,  do  so." 

Dr.  Wall,  an  Episcopalian,  affirms 
that  "No  church  ever  gave  the  Commu- 
nion to  any  persons  before  they  were 
baptized.  Among  all  the  absurdities 
that  ever  were  held,  none  ever  maintain- 


1$8  OBJECTIONS  CONSIDERED. 

ed  that  any  should  partake  of  the  Com- 
munion before  they  were  baptized."— 
Hist.  Inf.  .Bap.  part  2  ch.  9. 

The  truth  of  the  last'  extract  is  con- 
firmed bv  the  testimony  of  Justin  Martyr. 
A.  D.  1*50;  of  Jerome,  A.  B.  400;  of 
Austin.  Al  D.  500;  of  Bede,  A.  D  700; 
of  Theophylact,  A.  D.  1100;  of  Bona- 
venture,  A.  D.  1200;  of  Frid.  Span- 
heim,  A.  D.  1600;  of  Lord  Chancellor 
King,  A.  D.  1700.  Space  will  not  allow 
us  to  insert  extracts  from  each  of  these 
authors. 

When  Psedo-baptists  invite  us  to  their 
Communion,  or  complain  for  the  want  of 
admission  to  ours;  it  is  clear  from  their 
sentiments  that  they  demand  a  sacrifice 
which  an  honest  Baptist  cannot  make — a 
recognition  of  infant  sprinkling  as  the 
Baptism  which  the  New  Testament  re- 
quires. We  prefer  to  be  called  bigots 
and  sectarians,  rather  than  sacrifice  Bible- 
truth  for  popularity's  sake. 
Objections    to  restricted   communion- 

considered, 

I.  "Pccdo-haptisfs  are  sincere." — 
Sincerity  is  no  proof  of  correctness,  nor 
can  it  justify  a  violation  of  Scripture  pre- 
cepts and  examples.  Paul  was  sincere 
in   persecuting  the  church:  but  his   con- 


NO  TEST   OF   CHRISTIANITY.  129 


duct  wis  not  agreeable  to  the  revealed 
will  of  Christ.  Sincerity  must  have 
som;  tes':  our  tost  is  obe  lience  to  the 
commands  of  Christ.  Hut  if  sincerity 
will  serve  as  proof  of  carrecfcaesss,  our 
sincerity  may  prove  the  correctness  of 
our  practice.  The  sincerity  of  others 
cannot  become  a  law  for  us. 

2.  "Tne  Bapfis.'s  uiichrist/anize  other 
denominations.''' — The  Baptists  affirm 
thU  sprinkling  is  not  christian  baptism; 
th  it  communion  is  a  church  act;  and 
that  divisions  and  schisms  disquilify 
professors  of  religion  to  com.nune  to- 
gether. How  can  tlies  >  views  uuchris- 
tianize  any  denomination  that  does  not 
believe  the  dogma,  that  m-m  are  made 
Christians  by  baptism.  N#  effort  needs 
be  made  to  unehristianize  the  man  who 
recived  his  Christianity  in  the  ceremo- 
ny of  sprinkling.  We  believe  and  treat 
Pffido  baptists  as  unbaptized  persons. 
With  their  Christianity  we  have  noth- 
ing to  do  in  this  matter:  we  are  not  the 
umpires  to  decide  that  question. 

This  objection  constitutes  the  Lord's 
Supper  as  the  test  of  Christian  character. 
The  Lord  Jesus  never  designed  the  in- 
stitution for  that  purpose.  It  is  commem- 
orative: "Do  this  in  remernberance  of 
Q 


130  WHO   UNCHRISTIANIZE  I 

me."  It  is  prospective;  "ye  do  show  the 
Lord's  death  till  he  come.'1''  K  is  more 
of  a  test  of  our  obedience  to  Christ  than 
of our  love  and  confidence  in  each  other. 
The  true  test  of  mutual  affection  and 
confidence' as  christians,  is  better  exhib- 
ited in  sympathy  in  affliction,  in  feeding 
the  hungry,  in  clothing  the  naked,  and 
alleviating  the  wants  and  miseries 
of  our  fellow  creatures.  How  many 
thousand  professors  of  religion,  neglect 
the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  and 
to  quiet  conscience,  express  their  chris- 
tian confidence  in  the  practice  of  inter- 
communion? 

If  a  refusal  to  commune  with  certain 
churches  unchristianize  their  members, 
in  what  light  do  open  Communionists 
view  the  moral  condition  of  nineteen- 
twentieth  s  of  the  denominations  of  the 
present  day?  They  unchristianize 
nearly  the  whole  of  them.  There  are 
about  130  denominations  of  christians; 
not  more  than  eight  of  them  will  com- 
mune together.  Are  the  122  un christian- 
ized? Among  the  unchristianized  por- 
tion you  will  find  the  honest  Quaker, 
the  Catholic,  the  members  of  the  Greek 
church,  amounting  to  two-thirds  of  all 
Christendom,  besides  a   vast  multitude 


THE  LORD'S  TABLE.  131 

which    space  will  not  allow  us  to  men- 
tion. 

If  a  refusal  to  the  Lord's  table  unchris- 
tianize  our  fellow  men,  what  becomes 
of  the  Christianity  of  those  children, 
who,  in  their  infancy,  were  'sealed  with- 
in the  covenant."  Contrary  to  the 
usage  of  many  centuries,  they  are  de- 
nied the  "'rights  and  privileges  of  the 
children  of  God." 

3.  "It  is  the  Lord's  table,  and  all  the 
Lord's  children  should  come  to  it" — If 
all  who  wish  to  commune  are  to  be  re- 
ceived, because  it  is  the  Lord's  table, 
ought  not  all  who  claim  admittance  into 
the  church  be  admitted,  because  it  is  the 
Lord's  church?  If  it  be  the  Lord's  tar 
ble,  it  is  regulated  by  law  and  order. 
Christ  is  the  legislator.  He  has  enacted 
the  law  that  baptism  precedes  com- 
munion. He  has  said,  when  ye  come 
together  in  division,  this  is  not  to  eat 
the  Lord's  supper.  1.  Cor.  xi:  18,  19, 
20.  If  it  be  the  Lord's  table,  let  no 
man  approach  it  without  his  direction. 
Has  God  received  those  infants  which 
are  said  to  have  been  "dedicated  to  him 
in  baptism?"  If  so,  why  deny  them 
participation  at  the  Lord's  table,  The 
Lord's  children  are  kept  away!     Regu- 


132  COMMUNE  IN  HEAVEN. 

late  your  own  tables  as  you  will,  and  let 
God  regulate  his  own. 

4.  t'_  We  shall  all  commune  together  in 
heaven." — This  is  an  appeal  to  the  pas- 
sions, designed  to  blind  the  eyes  of  the 
unthinking-.  There  is  no  literal  table  of 
bread  and  wine  in  heaven.  Rom.  xiv: 
17.  In  the  admission  of  members  unto 
the  celestial  church.  God  acts  as  a  sov- 
ereign, and  receives  thousands  who 
would  not  have  been  received  to  the 
Psedo-baptist  communion  table.  In  the 
admission  of  members  to  Christian 
churches  on  earth,  we  act  as  servants, 
bound  to  yield  implicit  obedience  to  the 
directions  of  our  sovereign  Lord.  Who 
would  affirm  that  no  Quaker  will  be  ad- 
mitted into  heaven?  He  has  no  dispo- 
sition to  commune  at  the  Lord's  table, 
nor  is  he  invited  by  any  denomination. 
Do  you  not  intend  to  commune  with  the 
spirits  of  your  departed  children  in  hea- 
ven? Why  did  you  deny  them  admit- 
tance to  the  Lord's  table  on  earth?  How 
many  thousands  of  those  who  were  ex- 
communicated from  the  church  on  earth, 
will  be  admitted  into  heaven;  though  de- 
nied participation  at  the  Lord's  table  in 
the  visible  church? 

6.  "Restricted  Communion  is  unchar- 


CHARITY  CONSIDERED.  135 

itablt." — Charity  and  open  Communion 
are  very  different  things.  If  the  terms 
were  synonymous  the  following  passag  >s 
would  read  thus:  Tli  re  ab'nkth  fa.tli, 
hope,  and  open  c  nnmunion.  these  three; 
but  the  greatest  of  th-'se  is  open  c  nn- 
munion. 1.  Cor.  xii:  ]T>.  Above  all 
these  things,  put  on  open  communion, 
which  is  the  bond  ot  perfectness.  Col. 
iii:  12-14.  For  the  law  is  fulfilled  in 
one  word  ('agapeaoisj  open  communion. 
Gal.  v:  14. 

The 'word  agape  occurs  116  times  in 
the  New  Testament  It  is  translated 
love  86  time,  charity  29  times,  and  dear 
1.  Charity  is  love,  not  love  to  error  and 
sin;  but  love  to  God,  to  his  laws,  to  the 
order  of  his  house.  While  charity  suf- 
fereth  long,  it  rejoiceth  in  the  truth. 
That  charity  which  leads  men  to  con- 
temn the  order  of  God's  house  never 
emanated  from  heaven. 

Candid  reader,  the  subject  is  now  be- 
fore thee.  .Appreciate  the  value  of  di- 
vine teaching,  and  let  not  the  fear  of 
man  deter  thee  from  following  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  contending  earnestly  for  the 
faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints. 

Whatever  has  been  said  in  reference 
to  other  denominations,  in  these  Chapters, 


134  CONCLUSION. 

it  has  not  arisen  from  any  unkind  feel- 
ings. My  object  has  been  to  exhibit 
truth;  and  though  I  have  freely  quoted 
from  the  Disciplines  and  Standards  of 
other  sects,  it  has  been  in  order  to  show, 
that  many  of  the  charges  brought  against 
the  Baptists,  may  with  greater  consist- 
ency be  alleged  againsl  those  who  urge 
them  to  our  disadvantage.  "I  speak  as 
to  wise  men;  Judge  ye  what  I  say." 
1.  Cor.  x.  15. 


PASSAGES  OF  SCRIPTURE  EX- 
PLAINED. 


BOOK. 

CHAI 

.    VER. 

PAGE. 

BOOK. 

CHAI 

'.    VER. 

PAGE. 

Gen. 

xii 

1-5 

65 

Acts 

ii 

2,4 

35 

XV 

7-18 

86 

ii 

41 

40 

xvii 

1-14 

86 

viii 

38 

17 

Exo. 

xiv 

L9-22 

33 

viii 

39 

19 

2  Kin 

V 

14 

6,11 

ix 

17,18 

50 

Isa. 

lii 

15 

60 

X 

42,48 

91 

Eze.  xxxvi 

25 

62 

xvi 

13,15 

51 

Mat. 

iii 

5,  6 

27 

xvi 

91 

iii 

6 

10 

xix 

1-7 

25 

iii 

11 

35 

xxii 

14 

50 

iii 

16 

18 

Rom. 

iv 

1-5 

30 

xx  22, 23 

32 

xvi 

17 

111 

xxviii 

19  5,8,69 

1  Cor 

X 

1 

33 

Mark 

i 

5 

10 

X 

16 

103 

i 

8 

35 

xi 

18,20 

106 

vii 

3,4 

52 

Gal. 

iii  8,14,17 

85 

xvi 

16 

69 

Eph. 

iv 

5 

57 

Luke 

xii 

20 

32 

Col. 

ii 

12 

30 

John 

i 

26 

35 

Heb. 

ix 

10 

53 

i 

28 

15 

1  Peter  iii 

20 

35 

iii 

23 

12 

iii 

21 

76 

ALPHABETICAL  INDEX- 


Page 

Abrihatnis  Covenants, 

E4 

Action  of  bapfism, 

5 

A  ,a;e,  :n  •. tai.ig  of 

133 

Anas' as  defined, 

59 

Apo,  meani   g  of, 

IS 

Baptism,  action  of, 

5 

•'  s  ibjects  of. 

63 

«•   of  John,  a  christian  rit^, 

22 

"  of  Christ,  a  chvistiiu  act, 

21 

"  circumstances  attending, 

15 

"  plic  >s  where  administered. 

10 

«1   in  B.»th-ib tra, 

15 

*  of  the  Holy  Sprit, 

S5 

"  of  enps.  pots  &c, 

52 

"  of  the  hands  before  eating. 

52 

•'  the  whole  body  the  object  of, 

53 

•«  design  of 

23 

"  figurative  us-"  of  the  t^rm, 

32 

M   on  the  day  of  Pentecost 

40 

•'   over-rated  by  rantizers 

64 

"  a  pre-reqaiaite  to  communion 

103 

Baptisteries,  early  erected 

57 

Bapto.  BiJe  use  of 

8 

Baptizb,  meaning  of 

5 

Baptizo,  \i'u\>'  usi  of 

8 

Bethubara,  John  baptizing  in, 

15 

Children,  not  anciently  baptized  in  infancy,       78 
Christ,  baptism  of  21 

Church  Historians,  testimony  of  56,77 

Church,  character  of  primitive  members  of      76 
Church^spirituality  of  the  christian  75 


ALrHABETICAL    INDEX.  11. 

PAGE. 

Church,  the  christian  not  identical  with  the 

Jewish  80 

Church,  fellowship  of  the  104 
Church,  M.  E.,  its  Discipline  strictly  close 

communion  122 
Church,  M,  E.,  attaches  too  much  impor- 
tance to  baptism  67 
Church,  P.  E.,  forbids  mixed  communion  125 
Church,  P.  E.,  regards  baptism  regenerative  64 
Church,  Lutheran,  and  Dutch  Reformed  65 
Church,  the  Presbyterian  65 
do.  do.  on  communion  125 
Classics,  meaning  of  baptizo  in  the  6 
Commission  prohibits  infant  baptism  70 
Communion  103 
Communion,  Bible  facts  concerning  105 
Communion  qualifications  for  105-111 
Communion,  mixed,  objections  to  116 
Communion,  objections   to    restricted  an-  j 

swered  128 

Covenants,  three  made  with  Abraham  84 

Covenant,  of  circumcision  86 
Covenant,    of  circumcision,  peculiarities  of    88 

Cups,  &c.j  baptism  of  52 

Denominations,   few   ever  intercommune      130 
Disciples,  qualifications  of  69 

Disciples,  cannot  be  made  by  baptism  70 

Divisions  made  by  infant  sprinkling  99,  111 

Eis,  (into)  meaning  of  17 

Ek,  or  eks  (out  of)  meaning  of  19 

En  (in)  meaning  of  16 

Enon,  John  baptising  in  12 

Essential,  baptism  so  regarded  by  rantizers        64 
Eunuch,  baptism  of  17,19,61 


111.  ALPHABETICAL    INDEX. 

PAGE, 

Faith  precedes  baptism  71 

Fathers,  testimony  of  the  54 

Fellowship,  christian,  and  church  104 

Greek  church,  practice  of  10 

Greek  prepositions  defined  16-20 

Greek  writers  use  of  baptizo  by  6 

Hands,  baptism  of  the  52 

Households,  baptism  of  fll,9l 

Hudata  polla,  meaning  of  13 

Identity  of  the  two  churches  absurd  80 

Immersion  acknowledged  valid  59 

Immersion,  objections  to  considered  41,47 

Infant  baptism,  not  early  practiced  77 

Infant  baptism,  not  in  the  Bible  79 

Infant  baptism,  evils  of  shown  92 

Infants,  how  saved  72 

Isrealites,  baptized  unto  Moses  33 

Jailor  at  Philippi,  baptism  of  51 

Jerusalem,  well  supplied  with  water  41 
John  the  Baptist,  the  places  selected  by  10,12,15 

John,  character  of  his  candidates  74 

John,  number  baptized  by  27 

John,  baptism  of,  a  christian  rite  22 

Jordan,  description  of  the  river  10 

Judea,  John  baptized  all  27 

Lexicographers  define  baptizo  7 

Lord's  Supper,  facts  concerning  105 

Matheteusate,  meaning  of  69 

Nations  Bible  use  of  the  words  all  71 

Paul,  baptism  of  50 


ALPHABETICAL    INDEX.  IV. 


PAGE, 

Paul  and  the  disciples  at  Ephesus  25 

Pedobaptists  define  baptizo  7 

Pentecost,  baptism  on  the  day  of  40 

Pools  of  the  Holy  Land,  43 

Red  Sea,  baptism  in  the  33 

Rivers  in  Palestine  45 

Spirit,  the  Holy,  baptism  of  35 

Sprinkling  mere  water  no  where  recorded  54 
Sprinkling,  not  synonymous  with  baptizing  8, 57 
Sprinkling,  advocates  of,  refer  to  inappropriate 

verses,  60 

Sprinkling  all  nations,  in  Isaiah  60 

Sprinkling  clean  water,  in  Ezekiel,  62 

Teaching  all  nations,  import  of  69 

Time,  want  of,  urged  against  immersion  47 

Washing  the  hands  before  eating  52 

Washing,  divers  53 

Water  in  Jerusalem  and  the  Holy  Land  41,  45 

Words  convey  distinct  ideas,  57 


CONTENTS. 


PREFACE,  PAGE  3. 
CHAPTER  I ACTION  OF  BAPTISM. 

Meaning  of  the  original  word,  5;  Class- 
ics, Lexicographers,  Divines,  6,  7,  8"; 
Bible  use  of  bapto.  8;  of  baptizo.  8; 
Greek  church,  10;  circumstances  attend- 
ing baptism,  places  selected,  10-15; 
much  water,  12;  Greek  Prepositions,  16- 
20;  Christ's  baptism,  21;  John's  bap- 
tism, 22;  Disciples  at  Ephesus,  John 
baptizing  all  Judea,  27. 

Design  of  baptism,  28;  Figurative  use 
bf  the  word.  32;  Baptism    of  the  Spirit 
35;  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  40;  Scarci 
ty  of  Water,  41;   Want  of  time,  47;  Bap 
tism  of  Paul,  50;  of  others,    51  ;  cups 
pots. &c,  52;   Divers  washings  53;   Tes 
timony    of  the   Fathers,    54;  of  church 
Historians,     56:   Miscellaneous    Reflec- 
tions, 57. 

CHAPTER  II SUBJECTS  OF  BAPTISM. 

The     commission,     69;      Practice    of 


tONTENTS.  ii. 

Christ  and  his  Apostles,  74;  Spirituality 
of  the  Church,  75;  Description  of  early- 
converts,  76;  Design  of  baptism,  76; 
Beleivers  only  qualified,  77;  Infant  bap- 
tism a  novelty,  77,  78;  Not  in  the  Bible, 
79;  Pedolaptist  arguments  examined,  80; 
Identity  notion  80;  Abrahamic  Coven- 
ants, 84;  Baptism  of  Households,  91; 
Evils  of  infant  baptism    92. 

CIIAPi'KR  111 COMMUNION. 

Introduction,  101;  Mad  men  of  Mun- 
ster,  102;  Meaning  of  the  word  Com- 
munion, 103;  Two  kinds  of  Fellowship, 
304;  Scripture  facts,  105;  Qualifications 
of  communicants,  105,  106  108,110;  In,- 
fant  baptism  the  cause  of  divisions,  111; 
Objections  to  Mixed  Communion  state- 
ed,  116;  Objections  to  Restricted  Com- 
munion answered,  128- 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

Having  examined  the  work  of  Rev. 
D,  E.  Thomas,  on  the  'Action  and  Sub- 
jects of  Christian  Baptism,  and  Restrict- 
ed Communion,'  we  take  great  pleasure 
in  recommending  it  to  the  Christian  pub- 
lic. It  supplies  a  place  which,  so  far  as 
our  knowledge  goes,  is  not  filled  by  any 
other  work,  on  this  extendedly  contro- 
verted subject.  The  arguments  of  a 
hundred  volumes  are  condensed  and 
concentrated  into  so  short  a  compass, 
that  any  individual  may,  with  a  little  la- 
bor, know  the  whole.  The  Baptist  may 
here  see  the  foundation  of  his  practice, 
and  the  objections  brought  against  it, 
fairly  and  clearly  presented;  and  the 
evils  of  a  contrary  practice  properly  ex- 
hibited. 

We  especially  commend  the  chapter 
on  'Communion,'  to  the  consideration  of 
those  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  rep- 
resenting Baptists  as  bigoted  and  unehar- 


RECOMMENDATIONS. 

liable.     It  must  cure  them  of  misrepre- 
sentation. 

We  recommend  the  work  to  all,  as  a 
necessary  and  neat  vade  mecum,  on  this 
long  controverted  subject;  and  we  rejoice 
that  so  valuable  an  addition  has  been 
made  to  our  previous  stock. 

JOHN    WINTER, 
GEO.  C.  SEDWICK. 
B.   ALLEN. 
June    12,  1851- 


The  same  Author  has  also  in  Press, 
nearly  ready  for  circulation,  a  complete 
Course  of  Lectures  on  the  'Declaration 
of  Faith,'  adopted  by  Baptist  Churches 
generally.  Also,  the  'History  of  Baptist 
Sentiments,  since  the  Christian  Era.' 

These  Works  have  received  the  ap- 
proval of  Ministers  and  Brethren,  as  far 
as  opportunity  has  been  afforded  for 
examination;  and  will  prove  highly  inter- 
esting and  valuable  to  all  inquirers  after 
truth.  Orders  for  them  will  be  promptly 
attended  to  by  the  Publishers. 


Errata. — We  regret  that  several  ty- 
pographical errors  have  passed  uncor- 
rected in  these  pages,  especially  in  the 
figures  used.  The  most  material  one  is 
on  page  86,  four  lines  from  top,  where 
42  is  used  instead  of  24.  This  does 
net  occur  in  all  the  copies. 


